Three generations of art making women

Landscape with mountain forest and stream. Oil on canvas board, 30x20 cm. It's a small painting based on a picture made by my aunt, who is an accomplished artist and art educator. The reason why I chose to paint this image, is because my late grandma painted the same picture (see picture 2), just days before a major stroke that paralyzed her and eventually took her life.

My grandma was really someone special, in spite that she didn't receive any formal art education and never used any fancy art materials, she never feared to dive into a masterpiece by Renoir or an interesting illustration on her new duvet cover, she painted and drew so freely, wasted no time questioning her own skills or qualification. Just look at her take of the source image, look how free she was, how she simplified the complicated subject, to create something equally beautiful.

I have to say it's not really that kind of inspirational story where someone effortlessly earned recognition and praises without even trying, the truth is she never got the chance to develop her talents, and the world remains largely oblivion to her existence. It's not a sad story either. Most of us will be forgotten after we are gone, as if we have never existed; besides a small number of people, nobody will remember us. And it is totally fine with me, I want to be the branches that rot and dissolve into the water, to the earth; I want everything I ever own and touch, back to the world.

But I remember her, I will carry my memory of her till the day I die, and together, all that will return to dust, nourish the new generation of plants and living beings. That's what I will call, a love story.

P s. My aunt also made a watercolor painting with the same image, as her way to work through grief with art. Since it's not my work I will not share here, but if I can find the link to the artwork, I will share in the comment.

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