Bird in Winter Singing of Spring

I've decided to collaborate with my mom in RI on this art blog for as long as she'll agree.

My mom has only seen the internet a handful of times, so she may never see this, only hear of it. She has been ill with Multiple Sclerosis for 36 years, she was diagnosed while carrying me. She would tell you she can't draw, although I saw promise when teaching her a few lessons. I miss her terribly when I am in Texas. This collaboration is an attempt to connect with her on a new and meaningful way, while being 2000 miles away. Her disease has her feeling down this week, so all I could get her to agree to, was giving me a topic to work on. As we hung up the phone last night, she said, "I don't know, a bird?"

The bird I've posted is based on a description of a Japanese wood cut, that I cannot find an image of, so I've created my own image. I told my mom this morning that I illustrated a bird and how much I enjoyed her topic choice, she said, "Birds are beautiful, flying so free in the sky." She spends almost all of her waking hours in her wheel chair, sitting very still. I think I should paint her a flying bird. As for tonight's topic, she said quietly, "a dog?"