Two guitars hang on the avocado-hued wall of a living room, just above a white dresser holding up speakers and a record player. A comfy-looking chair sits to the right, adorned with colorful patterned blankets. The vibe is cozy, warm, and eclectic.
Today, that living room — and the rest of the house it’s attached to — is gone. It was one of at least 16,000 structures that were damaged or destroyed in the Los Angeles wildfires in January. But its memory is being kept alive by its former resident’s close friend, 27-year-old Maya Brattkus, who drew it as a gift for the homeowner and her partner to display wherever they live next.
“After being evacuated and watching our community go up in flames, I fell into a pretty dark place,” Brattkus, who grew up in LA and watched the temple where her Bat Mitzvah was held burn on TV, said in an interview with Nice News, adding: “The process of drawing their home was cathartic for me and helped me begin to process the grief of what was going on in a small way.”
After completing that drawing, Brattkus took her talents a step further: She posted the image on Reddit on Jan. 17 offering to draw more lost homes for free, and adding that she’d also draw houses that weren’t lost, in which case she’d charge a small sum and donate the proceeds to victims. The positive feedback and outpouring of requests she received led her to create more posts, some of which garnered thousands of upvotes as her offer gained traction.
This provided a lifeline for Brattkus at a time when her mental health had started to suffer. “Everyone in my family” was evacuated, she said, noting that in addition to her close friend, numerous former classmates and family friends lost their homes as well. “It’s been horrific, to say the least.”
Creating is something that the artist, who’s also a working actor, has always taken comfort in — though this was her first foray into drawing houses. “I initially posted on Reddit just to see if I could find a few more homes to draw, since drawing my friend’s house was so soothing and kept me and my hands busy and my mind focused on something other than the feeling of impending doom,” she said. “Drawing felt good and being able to give art to those who lost so much felt good, and that’s all I could really do during the first few weeks.”
Plus, Reddit provided a way for Brattkus to connect with her community, as commenters cheered her on (“That’s really creative and kind of you”), made enthusiastic requests (“Oh my god oh my god, how can I get in on this?”), and reached out to her with their own stories — which she says have been “poignant and heartbreaking.”
“I had one person reach out to request a drawing for his partner who was struggling with feeling like she ‘let the house down.’ So many of these homes were historic, built in the early 1900s and contained so many stories and memories in their foundations,” Brattkus said. She added, “Many have said that sharing their story of losing their home has been cathartic for them, and I hope to be able to share those stories as a small way for the communities to heal.”
What began as a simple act of kindness has now evolved into a full-fledged venture, which she titled the Lost Homes Project, to memorialize the communities lost in the fires. Brattkus is focusing her energy on drawing as many lost houses as possible for free and directing any voluntary donations toward victims.
She currently posts the artwork on the Lost Homes Project website, and her next goal is to compile all the drawings — and the stories behind them — in a book. “I hope that people will be able to look through and be able to visualize and remember their neighborhoods and memories and have a keepsake to hold onto,” Brattkus said, adding: “This project has been lifesaving for me. It’s been such a gift to be able to bring a bit of light to people in such a dark time, and it has pulled me out of my own darkness by giving me something truly fulfilling to focus my energy on.”
If you’d like to support the Lost Home Project and LA wildfire victims, head to Brattkus’ website to donate, scroll through the artist’s heartwarming work, and submit a home or story of your own.
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