Painting and creating in preparation for Noosa Open Studios prompted me to look back over some of my previous art projects. Below are snippets from my 2020 three week artist-in-residents project and painting exhibition at the Butter Factory Arts Centre. Intentionally ephemeral, the project symbolises the fleeting nature of life while memoralising my mother.
May is the month that always brings reflections on birth and death. Three of us lost our mothers in May; me, my sister and my special friend Kath. As if to re-affirm life, my beautiful niece Hana was a May baby.
Hana was just a toddler when mum died. She wanted to sit next to me at the service, a little thing that touched me deeply, helping me to get through the day. She had lost her grandmother at a young age, but it was I who drew comfort from her.
A few years later at my wedding, Hana became teary. “She’s probably upset that she’s not a flower girl” said Col’s old flatmate Di. (We didn’t have flower girls or bridesmaids. It was a casual sort of wedding at a restaurant.)
I shepherded Hana towards the privacy of the “Ladies” where I gave her a hug.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “I’m sad because Jill’s not here.” she said. Yes Jill, my mum, Hana’s Grandma, died too young. But she has left a wonderful legacy and this was my artistic tribute to her.