It has been a busy weekend, and today was a nice chance to get back into the studio and back to a routine. I’ve been working on a painting based on a snapshot of my mother holding me when I was about 2 months of age. It is a rather iconic image of Mother & Child… trying to put my own twist and style into it is a challenge. I have a feeling that I will be doing more than one version of it before I am satisfied.
After the big highs of the two opening receptions this past week, (Mary Lou Zeek’s 100 Artists and the Beaverton Arts Commission Showcase) I had to respond to a bit of an emergency with my mother. She fell last Wednesday night on her way home from a bridge game… fracturing her pelvis. She is so tough, though! She picked herself up off the ground in the parking lot, drove herself home and got up the steps into the house. She didn’t even call any of us kids. It must be hard to feel like you have to report to your children when you’re the mother.
The next morning I called her to check in… she told me the story and said she was still hurting quite a bit. Knowing her health history (osteoporosis) I advised her to get it checked out… and sure enough, it was fractured. Unfortunately there isn’t much they can do for this type of fracture. She will use a walker for several weeks. I went down & spent the night with her Thursday night, got things squared away so to speak…. made sure she could get in & out of the shower and do what she needed. I also got her to set up a ‘visiting angel’ to come for a few hours a day to do things like take out the garbage, grocery shop, make meals, clean up etc… I just feel better knowing someone will be there each day. She has so many friends and relations calling her and visiting though, I probably didn’t need to worry.
It is odd, I had been considering doing this painting for about a week before the issue with my mom. I’ve done paintings of my father, grandmother, sister, kids…. but never my mother. I worked up about 12 value studies to prepare for the painting… and finally got to the good stuff today. I’m not sure it is finished. I think I may have too much value contrast going right now. I’d rather see a color emphasis… but we’ll give it some time and take it to critique tomorrow to see what they think.
We are due for more SNOW in the forecast tomorrow… and I hope it doesn’t interfere with our critique group meeting! It is supposed to be at my friend Tangie Belmore’s home… she lives in a beautiful home set right next to a wetland. The last time I visited there were about 40 wild swans feeding there… They were so beautiful. I wish I were a better photographer. My little point & shoot just didn’t do them justice, and it is such a rare sighting here in Oregon. I only remember once seeing them growing up on our wetlands. If the weather cooperates, I will try to get photos up of the new painting after critique tomorrow. And if the swans are still there, I will try again to get photos. I’d better bundle up!
