Today’s story is short and sweet, and it comes from my mom, the woman who reads all my blog posts, comes to my paintings classes, helps me frame and wire all my art, and doesn’t get mad at me when she finds paint on her couch cushion or jeans.
Yesterday, she was telling me the story of one of her high school teachers who had a saying my mom thinks of often. I made her write it down.
When I was a freshman in high school (many, many, many years ago) a religion teacher had a saying that has stayed with me all these years. Sister Marie de Lourdes, with a giggly laugh that would brighten her whole face, knew how taken I was with her words. So much so that when our paths crossed many years later, she smiled, pointed to me and said, “If you must be blue, be a bright blue.”
My mom loves hummingbirds. A few times recently we’ve found one in the garage. They are funny birds. Even with garage doors wide open they will try to escape via the closed off ceiling, banging their heads against the roof. If you give them some time, though, they will shed a little of their anxiety, rest, and, perhaps while resting find the exist.
I know. You’re expecting some deeply profound parallel to life and painting, banging one’s head and whatnot. But not today. Let it suffice to say that the bright blues in this painting are in honor of my mom.
I’m going to be in Luling at Alligator Festival Friday through Sunday. I’ll have a lot of paintings for sale, some you haven’t seen before, believe it or not. I’ll also have some blank-inside greeting card sets with images from some of my paintings on them. They were made by the fabulous Life as Paper. If you’re in the area come out and see me.
September 25, 2014
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