Bragging on My Mom
Check out this silly photo of (L-R) my sister, me, and my mom. This was a self-portrait taken at arm’s length, and we were cracking up as we tried to smoosh our faces close together to make it work. (My arms were too short so my sister had to do the honors.)
My mom, Martha Harris, is a very talented artist. She put most of her artistic activities on hold while she had four kids at home. Although she never taught me art in a formal way, our everyday conversations often included things like arranging articles on a mantle, noticing the shape of a tree trunk, or admiring interesting antiques. In other words, I was learning about art from her. As a result, when I began to dabble in art, in my forties, I found that many of the concepts came easily to me. Thanks Mom!
One of my mom’s paintings is very special to me, since the subjects are my husband and my son. It depicts a perfect summer day, when my son was five, and we played in a rocky mountain stream. My husband deftly swung our son from one large rock to another, and our son was totally trusting that he would arrive safe (and dry) on the next perch. I took photos as my mom watched, and later she painted the scene.
Click any image for a larger view.
The photo above is not that great, since it was taken from a calendar page, but I love this painting! And so does my husband. (Do click on the image to fully appreciate it.)
For years, my mom has been saying “the painting is yours whenever you want it,” but she was enjoying it in her home, so we never asked for it. Until this year. I decided it would make a perfect Fathers’ Day gift for my husband. So, my mom shipped it and I had it reframed, all in secret. As you might imagine, my husband was pleasantly surprised, and he loved it!
And now, it’s hanging in our dining room.
Viewing this painting always gives me a warm feeling. One of appreciation for ALL the special family members in my life! What an aweseome gift for all of us.
Ellen Lindner
What a special painting and gift to your husband!