My latest painting is a tribute to a grand lady with exquisite cheekbones, kind eyes, patient temperament, warm smile, smart mind and a generous heart. She was the daughter of a fisherman/ hometown midwife & a housewife with 10 children in an island usually visited by typhoons. She created a loving home with my father in a city by Subic
Bay near Manila. She wanted to be a nurse but she became a dressmaker, as the second bread earner in my family. Her nurturing instincts, with my father's support, enabled her to unofficially adopt numerous relatives who lived with us in their time of need. There were lots of mouths to feed, but, amazingly, no one went to sleep, hungry! She arrived in Chicago after the death of my father in 1982. For 21 years of her stay with us in Andersonville, Nanay (mother in Tagalog dialect) cooked with passion, went to mass daily, shopped for favorite seafood, joined senior citizens activities & played actively in our nightly board games. She confided in me once, that never in her dreams while growing up in her original island home, that she would enjoy her senior years, as an American citizen in Chicago. My own family, right now, are enjoying the love & hospitality of my grateful relatives in the world: in North America, in Australia, in Asia & in Faroe Islands! Love pays with Love! In this May 7, 2022 report, I included my 2 recent portraits of my doctor & Judge Jackson enhanced by newly painted backgrounds! See you next month!
Susan, your portraits are so cool. I love the backgrounds and the textures--especially your mother's coat!
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