:Art…and my dad

After mom died in 1997, my sisters put me in charge of the family photos. These, along with ‘memories in bits and pieces’ were organized and filed ten years ago. Yesterday doing homework for the Library of Memories class, knee deep in memorabilia, ephemera, photos and personal memories, I came upon the following card in the dad folder.

Inside the card..

My dad was nine years old in 1942. That is not his handwriting. I wondered about the significance of the card. Why was it saved? Who sent it? I shared the card and my questions with our friends Kevin and Melissa as we feasted on Chinese take-out. They suggested it was an art project with assistance from a teacher. That would explain the handwriting. Palmer method, for sure. A light bulb went on! Could dad have drawn the picture? Quickly I retrieved two wood burnings by dad…

It’s a barn and farm implements with mountains and pine trees in the background. The scan isn’t great, but look at the style. Look at the trees. Look at the snow on the trees. Look at the snow on the ground.

Here’s a piece he titled…

This was done looking out the bay window in the kitchen of the farm house, the house where my sister Lori now lives. Notice the two cats sleeping in the window. Look at the trees, cottonwoods instead of pines. Look at the snow on the ground.

Katy, Kevin and Melissa’s daughter is also an artist. She’s been asked to illustrate a book. There was no question in their minds that the three pieces were done by the same person. And that a talented nine-year old could easily draw with skill.

What do you think?

:Fun Art on a Thursday morning..

The sky is blue, with the promise of becoming even bluer this morning. It belies the sense of foreboding, running like an underground current through the house. Chris met for a conference with the many people that will be involved in her surgery, her quest to buy herself some more time, some more quality life. The recovery period from this type of brain surgery is from 6 weeks to a year. A year! Whew! She has already beaten the very bleak odds surrounding Inflammatory Breast Cancer. 30% survive the first year. She has entered her fifth year. Last weekend she told me that she’s okay; she’s led a great life with a wonderful husband and family, had a successful business she enjoyed and has traveled the world. What more could one want from life, she commented. She lives her life now buying time…time for family, friends and more travel. Additionally, she wants to show how to be dignified during the process. This, she achieved from the beginning of her battle. She is an inspiration for those around her, including people she’s met in the past five years going through a similar process. She truly is My Hero. And I hope this surgery leaves her with dignity.

A rather bizarre intro to the following prints. You can probably expect more over the next few weeks…  😦  So, let’s turn my frown upside down! 🙂

 
Mad Whine Party by Mark Durham

The Beach by Marie Mason