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| One of my oil paintings |
Hey everyone. Been in the thought process for months about my work. thought I'd share it with you. I am currently a professional artist in Savannah. Luckily my work has always been well received. I've painted southern landscapes for years. But, last year I stopped working to take care of my mom. She passed away in November after 11 months of fighting the cancer that was taking her away. I regard that time as the most special, difficult, nurturing, loving and revealing time in my life. Would not have missed a minute, because she knew, without a doubt, how much I loved her.
Now to why I am blogging. When people ask me what started me as an artist, I say a poster contest in kindergarten. "Keep North Carolina Clean and Green - Don't Be A Litterbug". That was the first time I was recognized. I won. But now I realize something else... In all the packing unpacking and such, I have discovered memories I long forgot -quilting. My grandmother Emma, a seamstress, lived with us until I was 11. As I opened closets to pack, bits of yellows or blues would remind me of sitting with her and my mom, cutting up my dresses, and rearranging small pieces to make the most beautiful things. I remember her fragile hands sort through my outgrown hand-me-downs (the youngest sister!!!). As I recall this exposure, I realize that these simple acts are what actually shaped me as an artist. Things that I saw as domestic tasks were actually artistic processes.
My grandmother and my mother were artists! Of course. And I am an artist.
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| Mama Grooms' Hanging Out (one of Grandmama's quilts) |
With this beautiful realization, all I want to do is connect through the process. My artistic drive is changing. I KNOW in me somewhere is the fruition of embracing my past and my current work. I am currently trying different things: cut fabric, cut paper, fabric and painting, collage and painting... OVERWHELMING! Because it is new to me, it is taking some reflection and many attempts.
I'll keep you posted.
Lori
