another prepatory drawing on its way--LOST and FOUND

Often, I have the title of a painting before I start. That's because there's usually a story attached, or a concept I want to express in a visual manner. Yesterday I posted about DEFIANT, the story of my grandmother. Going hand in hand is this next piece, called Lost and Found. This is the story of my Mothers' life. It was very obvious, both titles. I work them together, because my Mom and grandmother although very different personalities, were very close, and I want to express their stories together. It makes very logical sense to me.

                                        Portrait study in preparation for the painting--Lost and Found

My mom was brought up in the depression, under less than ideal circumstances. This was the era of women suffering in silence. That's all I'll say. This portrait was done from a photo, that I will guess was taken around 1950. It's bl. & wh., and the edges are all soft. I love old photos. She's standing on a ladder outside her parents home in cabbagetown. One of those tall old rowhouses. In that time, this wasn't the neighbourhood to be from. Now, cabbagetown (downtown Toronto) is a very classy affair. In fact this rowhouse is all fixed up and it's probably worth a fortune. (My daughters and I visited the street on a recent visit.) My Mom would never talk to me about her sufferings, but the damage was always obvious to me. I hope to express a little about her sufferings in this piece, but also her sweetness, and innocence. It's never simple, when describing someones personality, their complex story of a life lived.
Ironically, My Mom has Altzheimers now, her personal freedoms have been taken away from her, replaced with safety. I can honestly say, she is peaceful and content, and lives in the moment in a way that was impossible while I was growing up. Poignant.