Sculpture-Totem to Marge

Last year in May my dear Mother-In-Law passed away in her sleep.  I loved her dearly and miss her.  This sculpture was made in her memory.  While creating it, I would feel the sorrow of my loss and joy in knowing her.  I guess I could say, it helped me through the grieving process.

The elements of this totem are purposely kept simple, even though I had an arsenal to work with. Marge had collections of all sorts: frogs, golf memorabilia, Christmas decorations, doves, dolls....the list goes on.  Veola was her name, but she went by Marge.  Marge grew up on a dairy farm in Iowa and the milk can was one of the objects she had tucked away in the garage as well as the pottery.     She was a fun loving person who loved life and those dear to her. Marge, I love and miss you.

Totem to Marge                                                                                                           Collection of the Artist   2014    

Christmas 2008

Birthday Month....Baba and Me

This colored pencil drawing was drawn from a photo my Mother took of my Baba reading to me.  Baba didn't speak in English, and I did not know Slovak, but she communicated in the language of love. 

"Baba and Me"   Colored Pencil   16 x 20     2012                                                                      Collection of the artist. 

One of the challenges and joys of this drawing was to select colors.  It was an amazing journey  back into my memory, not only of the colors but of the feelings of what is what like to be with her.  I remember looking at her fine silver hair and feeling her soft saggy skin and thinking how beautiful she was. 

Today, I am a grandmother of 3, and when I am with them I know the joy she must have felt.

From my 4 year old grand-daughter.  2/20/14

Painting takes a twist.

This is what the previous painting from "First Painting of the Year " blog turned into. These paintings testify that so many different thoughts come to me while I'm making art and in this series I allow myself to choose which influence I focus on to complete the painting.   This is very different from the approach of knowing your image and content and staying with it.  I don't have a title for it yet but the fact that I recently booked a flight to Hawaii must have had some influence in this painting.  I have been to Hawaii numerous times and absolutely love it.