The Torn Hat...43 yrs. later

It only took 43 yrs. to finally get around to putting a coat of varnish on this little guy.  This painting holds a special place in my heart.  It's not particularly well done but it was my first attempt at painting during a semester of art classes as a senior in high school....some, 43 years ago.  Holy cow, where did the time go??  

This painting is a stab at replicating the American artist Thomas Sully's painting of his nine year old son and for me represents the love of a child and the innocence in us all. The original The Torn Hat (1820) resides in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  Someday, I'll visit there and check it off my bucket list!  I chose this painting because of the wonderful light streaming through the torn hat and the pinkish glow of his cheek.  It is a painting that I may have to take another stab at sometime soon...just for fun.

My mother, bless her heart, always had this painting hanging somewhere in her house.  I'm thankful she held onto it.  Since her passing last Aug. I've often looked at this painting hanging in my studio and thought of her...and her solid devotion to her children.  She spent her entire life caring for us.  Even as we entered our own retirement years.  She was spunky, set in her ways and hard working.  She devoted her life to her children and never lost sight of the importance of each family member.  In her honor, I felt I should care a bit more for this painting.  So I carefully took it down, unframed it and varnished it for the first time.  It's now back on the wall watching over the studio reminding me of my mother and the great love a parent has for his or her own child.  

Little Brown Eyed Girl

Little Brown Eyed Girl

8x6, soft pastel

Here we are, Sept. 1st once again and the 30in30 Challenge has begun.  The summer rushed by and I didn't accomplish half of what I thought I would.  As I told my oldest daughter recently, "The best laid plans of mice and men, often go astray."   You know how it is.  So many times in life we think we know what our immediate day/week/month will entail only to be cast off in another direction, reminding us that we are simply not in control of our lives.  

Less than a month ago my sweet mother passed away.  She had a full life and at 87 was ready to go.  Ironically, that's about what she weighed (87) when she fell and broke her hip.  With dementia in full control of her mind for the past several years and her body weakened, she sometimes had thoughts of heaven and asked just days before the fall, "When I get to heaven, do you think I'll get a new coat?".   "Oh yes mom!" I told her.  "You can pick out any color you want.  What color will you chose?".  "Oh my!" she exclaimed with sheer glee and a twinkle in her eyes.  "I always wanted a RED coat!".  As a child she lived an impoverished life during The Depression Era and was often hungry...and certainly never had a new coat.  So this thought of what heaven would be like for her simply delighted her.  

Since her passing, I told myself I would someday paint a picture of her with a new red coat and maybe someday I will. The painting above is my mother at the age of six years old wearing her very best clothes for her first grade picture.  Not a new red coat for this little brown eyed girl...but her very best clothes none-the-less.

I had resigned myself to passing on this month's 30in30 Challenge.  I have a lot of things I still want to paint but I just haven't had much inspiration lately.  We'll see.  I have no plans or expectations of how this month will unfold.  I'll take it a day at a time and see where it takes me.  After all, isn't that all we really have anyway?

After The Game

After The Game

8x8, soft pastel

Flushed cheeks, tossled hair....oh, the sweet face of a young boy after a baseball game!  This is Jake after a game on the Fourth of July.  Pure sweetness...and a bit of sweat-ness too!