Painting Mom

And the other women in my family who aren't here anymore.

My Mom, Louise, as a surly teenager in a glorious garden I enhanced for her.

My Mom died two years ago this May. I miss her and think about her all the time. I also miss my aunt, my grandmothers and my mother-in-law. They were the women who were there for me as I grew up. They weren’t perfect; they were human and drove me crazy sometimes. But they were the ones who shaped me, gave me advice and nurtured me. Their voices are still in my head.

Painting, for me, helps me visualize and strengthen my connection to them, and lets my memory and imagination take over. I love to reinterpret their lives through my art and to capture moments from old photos that caught my attention. I focus on a real but reimagined second in time from way back when.

I don’t know if they would recognize themselves in my interpretations, and I guess that doesn’t matter very much. This is how I see them. Their lives, experiences, and their choices influenced who I am now, and I love them.

Mom as a child.

Mom during her last week. She went out to visit the butterfly garden near her home, and I know it gave her a little bit of joy.

Mom on a boat during her honeymoon, I think. I’m not sure I ever saw her on a boat in real life.

Mom reflecting. She wasn’t much of a reflector; she was a doer.

This is Alice, my Mom’s sister, who was very close to all of us, and was my “2nd Mom.”

Aice as a young girl with Humphrey and poppies.

Alice with Humphrey, painted 10 years later, I’m giving her a whole new vibe.

And my grandmother

This is Gertrude, my grandmother on my Mom’s side. She was very stern and strict. The pictures of her as a young woman are incredible, and I’ve always loved painting her.

Gertrude on a boat. Again, not a regular occurrence. Maybe this was the only time that wasn’t a ship.

Nana, her name was Rose. She was my Dads Mom and was a loving light. She died when I was thirteen, so I didn’t know her well.

Nana and Mom

My mother-in-law Bobby holding my husband.

There are just 3 spots left in our Winter 2027 Morocco Painting adventure. (all 3 are gorgeous single rooms) Check it out, we’d love to see you!

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Gayle Kabaker and I have such fun in our Patreon one-hour meetups twice a month. You can hang out with us and draw, paint, chat about life, movies, books and more. You’ll also hear about our weeklong workshops first, we have great new workshops for 2027 to announce very soon!

I’d love to hear from you!

xxxJennifer