MY MOTHER'S EYES
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"I never thought I'd ever marry or have so many lovely children. Your Auntie Eileen was the pretty one."
My mother has always loved children and as a young girl, dreamed of being a childrens' nanny. Her Social Workers dissuaded her, saying that because of her poor eyesight, she would not be able to cope with the task of sewing that would doubtless accompany that calling. My mom went on to raise five children of which I was the first born. Despite her poor sight, she made wonderful clothes for our dolls and lovingly patched our teddies with dyed scraps of fabric from her Confirmation dress. Mom has Retinitus Pigmentosa, Macular Degeneration and, until two recent operations, she also has Cataracts. She instilled in me, her great love of the beauty that is found in Nature and the Visual Arts and she possesses the gift of Spiritual Vision.
Over the past few days, I've been thinking a lot about fading memory and fading sight; dull, smudged light; imperfect, scratched lenses; sunlight and rainbows.
16 comments:
This is so lovely and touchingly poignant! Your love for your Mother shows thru your work. A wonderful tribute piece.
A stunning piece and tribute to your Mother- who sounds to be a remarkable woman of strength and love!
This is a beautiful post. Your mom sounds like a wonderul woman and so full of spirit and heart.
Katelen
What an absolutely beautiful and heartfelt post Lumi, both the art and the description. so often I tend to throw work out into the blog and this really makes me appreciate the power of story as it relates to the artist. the quote really chokes me up. I too have member of my family who said things like this or who went to the convent instead of pursuing relationship and family, .......................thank you
i love this lumi... isn't it wonderful that people don't listen to the 'experts' and move forward under their own guidance instead?
your mother is beautiful...
xo
You've portrayed everything you said and explained perfectly in this piece! You're a true artist Lumi!
Never listen to other people telling you what you can do and what not.
Thank you and thank you again. Often we need a reminder as touching as this to express our love for our parents. Today, I think I will spend with my Mother.
This is beautiful!
Thanks for sharing.
It's very warmhearted to remember your mother like that and I like what she looked like.
But one point: It's hard to read in white on black. I can really feel what it's like to have problems with the eyes. I now have too. ;)
Oooohhhh this is a darling post. I love this beautiful tribute to your mother...it is simply gorgeous and makes me all warm inside.
Oh and I tried photoshop the other day - finally got myself the program. Is this what you use to make your beautiful artwork? You must stop on by and see the very basic experiment I did recently with an art nouveau panel sketch.
I need to learn how to layer separate items now.
You are the master.
This is just such a beautiful and heartfelt post. Love the little stitches and I'm assuming that you are the littley in the picture. How sad that the careless words of others stop us from reaching out for our dreams. It is just soul crushing. Thank goodness your mother went on to have you and your siblings and experience the happiness that children can bring.
I'm the oldest of five myself, and my mother was my best friend. Sadly, she died before I'd reached the age of nineteen. She encouraged my artistic bent, just as yours did.
Your words and image are wonderful.
There is a tremendous amount of courage in this story. I love your description of her Spiritual Sight. May our Spiritual Sight - however much or little we may depend on it - never become smudged, dull or scratched
The loss of ones sight . I cannot imagine. waht a beautiful post
Wonderful post and fine tribute. All three of the eye conditions you mention have affected members of my own family as well; and will continue to do so for some, in future....I have been brought up in a similiar way as you with an exceedingly deep appreciation for what our eyes can behold.....or, indeed can also imagine.
Regards
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