SOLSC #29 – Art Walk

It is Tuesday and time to write a 'Slice of Life." 
Thank you  Two Writing Teachers for creating this supportive community
of teacher-writers!

In yesterday’s slice, Glenda Funk offered a tour of the artwork that hangs on the walls of her home, offering a brief story about each piece, and including many beautiful pieces that she acquired through travel. Upon reading, I instantly felt a happy, warm feeling in my heart, akin to what I feel when I visit a new friend for the first time. This is one of the greatest pleasures of the SOLSC community, I think – when you spend a month writing alongside others, you feel as if you have made friends. 

Let me not neglect to share who Glenda got her inspiration from, another SOLSC writer; Glenda wrote –

Sunday Aggie Kessler who blogs at “my heart is happiest when i travel. read. write. connect” took us on a tour of her home in Jeju, Korea and blogged about how she likes glimpsing into others’ homes. I do, too.

Today, I’ll share a few art pieces from my home, in hopes that you get to know me a little better. 

I started dating Tony in fall 1986, and I was pretty much head-over-heels from the get-go. A couple months into our relationship, I was visiting family in New Hampshire, and my sister-in-law and I slipped into a local art show. I saw this painting:

I had to have it. 

Know this: I had never bought a painting before in my life. I’m not really sure what got into me. I simply knew that I wanted this for Tony. It reminded me of our many hikes together, trekking through the woods. I remember so very well how my sister-in-law pleaded with me, saying – I think this is a very serious gift, you’ve only been dating a couple months, I don’t think it’s a good idea. I dismissed her advice and bought this painting as a gift for him. I remember the long drive back to Washington, D.C., with this treasure in the back seat of my small car, wondering about my impulsivity. This painting adorns our fireplace mantle, in our living room. It is probably our “fanciest” piece of art, painted by an artist I do not know (C. Conti). Oh, and we’ve been married 35 years – so the gift worked out, lol.

Most of our art is painted by someone near and dear to us. Here’s our basement wall, where I have a gallery of art created my own kids, over the years:

Let me spotlight this one by my four year old granddaughter, Frog:

I love this drawing! She has recently ‘discovered’ that she can draw this being – and she draws it over and over again, with different color markers. We’ll ask, oh, who is this? and she’ll say “It’s you” or “It’s Poppa” or “It’s Mama” or, or, or, on and on. I see no distinction in the drawings other than the marker color, but she imagines different people for each one. I love this!

Here’s a poster that has hung in our kitchen for nearly 30 years, entitled “Elephant Bird” by Mike Smith –

A friend worked in a frame shop and noticed that this poster was being trashed, to make room for other merchandise. She knew that our (then) three-year-old son loved elephants, so she saved it from the trash and passed it on to us; I had it framed. We love elephants!

Another favorite of mine is this artwork of the Quilts of Gee’s Bend. I saw this exhibit in Memphis in 2005, and was mesmerized by the patterns of the quilts. These are simply postcards that I placed in a frame:

Next up: My nephew created this batik when he was in middle school. He based it on a painting of our eldest son (his cousin) sitting on Tony’s lap at the piano. I was so thrilled when my sister-in-law gave us this painting. It hangs above our piano, and the small photo sits on our piano.

We had a two-year stay in Little Rock, Arkansas, due to Tony’s work, from 2004-06. I worked as a substitute teacher during this time, and I also had the joy of taking pastel art classes at the art center there. Here’s a picture I created during these art classes  – it is of our Maryland home (which shows how much I was missing it):

During those classes, the following painting was created by an artist working at the easel right next to me. I am embarrassed that I don’t recall his name (nor can I decipher the signature).

I have not forgotten the awe I felt in watching the artist create this piece. He had a photograph of an old home taped to his easel, and he zeroed in on this one corner of the house. He worked with only 2-3 colors and he created a treasure of a painting. At the end of the art course, there was an informal art sale at the center; I was absolutely thrilled to purchase my classmate’s gorgeous work – having watched its very birth.

I adored my art teacher in Little Rock. Her name is Endia Gomez – and this piece of hers hangs above my writing chair, inspiring me, always. 

As you can see, most of our art is personal treasures. Let me close with the marionette that hangs in my kitchen –

Is this not a twin to Glenda’s? Mine was a gift from a dear neighbor, after I tended to their plants and their cats after a long trip to Cambodia. 

I hope you enjoyed this visit with me, today.

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