A Letter to Ma

Jul 11, 2023

Just when I was thinking that its time to post something in my journal, my lovely daughter sent me this beautiul write up on International Women's day

A LETTER TO MA:

I am not an art lover. I have never been and frankly don’t think I ever will be. 

I am not someone that goes to galleries or shows on the weekends and can gaze adoringly at a painting making comments about the style, texture or message that a certain piece evokes.

That being said, my mother is a wonderful artist and I have grown up surrounded by her work. For a non art lover I have always been able to connect to her work. Why is that I wonder? Is it because she’s my mother and I want to be supportive? Is it because I’ve seen the production of the piece from start to finish, perhaps making me more invested in the final outcome? No, I don’t think so. 

When I look at my mothers’ paintings I see her. I see a vibrant, colourful, passionate woman bursting out of the painting. In the confident brushstrokes laden with paint I see the dedication with which she approaches any task in life. In the epoxied surfaces I see her shiny exterior, the wonderful way in which she loves to dress up for events and is always beautifully turned out. In the bright colours I see her joi de vivre, her endless positivity and joy. 

Her use of sufis in so many of her paintings is also another facet of her personality. My mother is a keen spiritualist and you will always find her with several different books on the subject on the go on her kindle. Many of you will own a painting of hers and will have it proudly hung up in your home. I hope it brings you as much joy and balance as it undoubtedly brought my mother to make it. 

In a weird way when I look at her art I also see me; the shape of the nose or the curve of the lips in some of her figurative pieces. It’s striking seeing a facet of yourself reflected in a piece. It’s you but not quite you at the same time. I think that’s maybe what art lovers gain in their appreciation of the arts. Do they see a reflection of themselves in the works they admire? A glimmer of their core that connects them to a certain painting or artist? Maybe this is the secret to art appreciation. Who knows? I certainly don’t. 

All I know for certain is that painting brings my mother joy. I am beyond proud of her for all of her achievements and for the depth of creativity that she has inside of her. We may be separated by thousands of miles at the moment but I look around my flat and in all of the paintings I have of hers and I am comforted in the knowledge that she is all around me. 

Love you ma!