Mothers and Creativity
Dear Art Lover,
Have you ever wondered what your life would be like now had you had a different childhood? Would even a small change turn the entire direction of your street of life? Or is destiny predetermined? Every now and again, my thoughts return to the Nature vs. Nurture discussions. There can never be any real answer: Too many variables and no real control group. People just take away what serves them, right?
Mom was a Cub Scout Den Mother for my brothers. I was lucky enough to participate with most of the creative projects all of the scouts did with her. And she did a LOT of things with those children! So many crafts, so many creations. She was always the fun chaperone at our school events and trips.
In addition, Mom taught painting lessons. I have a vague memory of my sitting on the carpeted floor half-under the dining room table painting my own things while she taught paying students above that table in our home. I always forget to ask her if that is a real thing that happened or just something I have imagined since middle school (my sitting on the floor painting, I mean).
My mother painted the sets for our local theatre group. She painted murals around town and did shows to sell her own paintings. At some point, she even painted words on race cars at the Sebring 12-hour Endurance Race in central Florida. [I remember the day she came home and swooned over seeing actor Paul Newman at the racetrack. I was a teen and I think I rolled my eyes with a "you can have him" attitude. I was always into brown-eyed, dark-haired boys.]
She is still painting these days, as well as teaching her many grandkids the thrills of curiosity and creativity.
Back to Nature vs. Nurture: I am the oldest of her six children. Each one of us had the same art-loving mamma; yet we each have distinct personalities and interests. [My father used to quip that families exist to bring people together who might not otherwise meet each other. That could actually be true for my siblings and me!]
My mother with all of her children in 2017.
Mom likes to quip, "The nuts do not fall far from the tree."
Each one is creative in the areas of what rocks our worlds. I am the only full-time artist. But I did not know that was my future when I finished high school. Like most kids, I had several ideas of what I would be whenever I grew up. My list includes a dancer (too shy), a mathematician, an underwater photographer, working in a darkroom / photographic laboratory, a restorer of photographic images, etc. I actually pursued each of those to some degree, until I recognized that I lacked something in each of those callings. Or in the case of restoration, technology caused me to change the dream.
My mother holds her future artist and first-born.
However, I never thought to pursue life as a visual fine artist. I knew that I would have art in my life always, thanks Mom! But I imagined that it would be a hobby outside of work. Looking back, I see that at each fork in the road, I chose to follow the magic. And each of my pursuits (especially mathematics) shaped my future art career.
Again, each of my siblings have created these amazing lives and influence so many others in good ways. We have our mother to thank for a large part of this work ethic and belief that nothing is off-limits for us. Man, did she ever hustle to give each of us opportunities that are not guaranteed to many kids, even today.
But why did only one of her six kidlets turn to painting as she did?
Above: When a trick or treat-er child asked my mother if she lived here, she responded, "I died here." Halloween has always been a fun family holiday, thanks to her creativity.
I have counseled teens that I have known with the observation that kids seem to find their interests early in life. And I have met plenty of people who have the "mid-life crisis." They find themselves divorced or out of work and wondering what to do now that their worlds seem more open to the fact that every day of their lives, they had choices. Often, I see people go back and take up some activity that gave them joy (or they were curious about trying) when they were little.
So, all this to say, "Thank you, Mom!" I love you and appreciate the sacrifices you made to enrich our lives. It was not easy. Teaching creativity and encouraging curiosity might be the best gift an adult can give a child.
ART NEWS!
So, I have a new painting to show you! Inspired by a commissioned painting I made last year... check out the full story with images here for some cheerful kitchen art:
"Lemon Slices and Sfogliatelle":
https://borsheimarts.com/products/lemon-slices-and-sfogliatelle-still-life-painting
Detail of my painting (work-in-progress) "Lemon Slices and Sfogliatelle" Italian pastries.
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And I posted the process images of the still life painting "Pumpkin and Acorns" here:
https://borsheimarts.com/products/pumpkin-and-acorns-still-life-painting
See the steps of how I painted this still life composition and how she turned out.
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Palio! A Tuscan Tradition:
As life works at times, I had to pause some projects to meet an application deadline. It took me about a week to research the theme and collect ideas and then create my small painting design to enter a competition to paint the annual "flag/banner" for the Palio in Pescia, Tuscany. 'Palio' comes from the word for 'Cloak.' In Medieval times, the Palio was the award given to the winner of some sporting competition. The oldest Palio in Italy is a crossbow competition not far from Lucca. The most famous Palio is the now controversial horse race in Siena (due to the harsh, at times grave, conditions for the horses).
The Palio in Pescia is an archery competition, usually the first Sunday in September. I just yesterday received the e-mail notifying me that my bozzetto (the small application painting) was the one chosen for this year's theme banner!
However, I am sworn to secrecy and not allowed to share any part of my design. And I have a lot more work to do now in order to paint the real thing before I return to the US for a visit. Only those who run the Palio will present the banner during the Medieval festival and archery competition and not one moment before. So, in September, I hope to share with you a new thing that I have never yet done!
My guest artists:
To celebrate Mother's Day, here are two gorgeous works from my friend Vasily Fedorouk: 'Question to the Most High' depicting a mother who looks to the heavens wondering if the squirming child on her lap will have a good and healthy long life, carved in a dark green marble and the bronze "Pregnancy" that highlights the elegance of the female form as she carries a life within.
Please inquire if interested in either or both!
Dragana Adamov: A fairly new mother (of a three-year-old), my dear friend is a creative dynamo. She designs for a famous Italian brand name, as well as creating her own artworks. This is one of her collection of designer plates, with gold rim. Safe for the dishwater, to use or display. To see the collection on my site, type "Dragana" into the search tool (or plates).
Happy Mother's Day to literal mothers, but also those who help children grow up with curiosity and creativity.
Peace,
Kelly Borsheim, artist
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