Artwork

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Back when I had not heard from C. for nearly three months and I started writing my emails to him as if they were Dear Diary entries (which they seemed to feel like more than any kind of actual correspondence) I wrote the following email to him:

Friday, September 7, 2012 4:53 PM

Dear Diary, 

I meant to say that I finished reading the Madonnas of Leningrad. The story did take place mostly in the Hermitage, but forwarded in time to an island off of Seattle. It was a good book, but I think I preferred the two previous ones I had read (Snow Falling on Cedars and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan). Although, I must say it was interesting to learn about a place and event in time that I had little, if any, knowledge of. Anyway, because the book was called the Madonnas of Leningrad, in part due to the detailed remembrance of all the most famously painted Madonnas that hung on the Hermitage's walls, I thought that I would share my Madonnas. 

I have painted several Madonnas with Child over the years. I have always loved the Masters paintings of that image. I'm Catholic - a church which highly honors Mary - but outside of that fact, it strikes a cord... a mother loving her child... However, I am not a trained artist so I consider mine "naive" art - art that is not only from an unskilled painter, but done with a simple-minded view of the subject. I love "naive" art. I consider much folk art to be "naive" and feel a great connection to that expression. I'm not in love with my art, but I do *like* it. When I used to "produce" it I would write a prayer* on the back of each piece, one from my own thoughts and heart, as a gift for the recipient. It was an interesting time in my life...

So, I am attaching my Madonnas. Some of which I like, others, not as much, but all done with love. One of my Madonnas is missing (it's just not uploaded to my laptop) and it is my "modern" Madonna. I like it's "new ageyness" but it's not for everyone. Oh, but I am throwing in my angel - or rather, my interpretation of an angel : )

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Later, after C. had been re-deployed to that part of the world most in need of his expertise I wrote this: 

Sunday, October 7, 2012 1:10 AM

From: L. 

To: C.

Here's another piece of artwork I've done (did you have a chance to view my Madonnas?) The piece is simple, but I used the old shutters from my 1930's home in __________ as my framing. I like this piece because at the time I made it it was pretty unique. I like it during the day without the lights, but at night when it is lit (there are small white lights strung behind it) it is so bright and colorful it makes me feel like Christmas everyday! : ) You seem to have such refined taste (at least in your classical music selections) that my simple folk-type of art may not appeal to your senses... art is so subjective... which, after all, is quite the "special" part of its existence; there is some beauty represented in art works that any individual person may find they have an attraction to....

Hoping you are well (and doing well!)

L 
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And finally, today, probably because of how strong and harsh my last email to C. was and because I do deeply care for him and want him to do and be well while he is so far away, in such a dangerous part of the world, I wrote:

Monday, October 15, 2012 6:03 PM

Hey! I have a few minutes before I show a property at _______________. I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to give myself to get out to the place (and find it!) as it is some distance from where I live. On the drive my mind just kept going to you, wondering how you are, how things are going? I have such strong beliefs in your professional abilities - that you are a treasure to the ___________ (whether they say so or not!) - I have no worries about that, but I do worry about you personally... that you are okay...

I'm going to send you a photo of the rooster I painted around the time my mom had her illness. It was my first attempt at doing a reversed-glass painting on plexi-glass. I really didn't know what I was doing and I got kind of impatient with the whole thing; I didn't like the finished product at all! But my counselor (I was seeing a counselor at that time because going through my mother's illness with her - taking care of her was a full time job - so I often felt as if I were on a sinking ship being dragged down to depths I wasn't sure I would be able to surface from) suggested I paint something to relieve some of my stress and anxiety. Because she had been my impetus for doing the painting I took it in to her office to show her and since I disliked it so much, and she seemed to like it, I gave it to her. She propped it up against her bookcase just behind where she sat but in view of where her patients faced her.

The next time I went back to her the rooster was still there and I asked her, why, as she had told me she meant to take it home. She said she ended up not being able to take it home because every patient that came in that day and during the rest of the week commented on it! She was amazed that it brought out so many different thoughts from each of them! She was really flabbergasted about it... she said she now felt like she couldn't take it home; her patients had become too attached to it! I thought that that was so strange, but interesting... 

In the end, somehow, I too came around to actually *liking* my rooster! I'm am sending it to you to cheer you up! It's such a funny looking thing...

I really miss you...

L