STORY OF THE HOME PORTRAITS

Whenever I finish a home portrait piece,

I am compelled to tell the story of how they became.

Although I can drag a story out, I am told I am 

a good story teller. However, I want to post the story

to be here after I am gone, It is, to me, such a beautiful story.

I am a childhood cancer survivor when childhood cancer,

called Wilms' Tumor was incurable. 

My parents were asked to sign my medical care over to the physician

who had my care in his hand. 

Long story short, after 12 weeks in a hospital, my parents

were told,

"take her home and if she is still alive in 3 months, bring her back."

This statement still gives me chills as for my book research,

I have been watching many youtube videos of childhood cancer

victims, and lets just say, many cases are not pretty.

I kept living and kept going back for more treatment, more 

radiation. Finally after a few years, it is joked about in 

my big family, my Daddy said,

"What if she does live? We have to do something or she

will be stupid"

With that I was enrolled in school and because my Dad

was an artist/photographer and because I could do nothing

contact as I now had only one kidney, he put me

in private art lessons with Mrs. Godlyn Serigny.

How I loved these lessons, Mrs, Godlyn's home had the

smell on Linseed oil, turpentine, when I smell these things to this

day it is she and her home I am brought back to.

I did these lessons for 8 years.
I have always been an artsy person but as I grew up,
had children that were not supposed to be, I picked up painting.
Of course, I would help with the occasional poster contests,
but to say I picked up a paint brush and did art, no I did not.
Fast forward to grown children and three little grandgirls.
I was teaching art in my cottage, doing lots of scrapbooking
and repurposing old things as myself and the Boo called
"reclamation art" reclaiming old and making it beautiful again.
Even with this, I was not painting, had this block, thinking
I could not do it.
Then one night I decided to pray on my Momma rosary.
Before my Mom died she gave myself and each of my siblings
a handmade rosary, all the same. We often pray on these beads
at the same time when wishing for special things.
On the night I speak of, I prayed that if I should be painting
let me have the courage to put brush in hand.
The very next day I awakened and painted an angel.
I thought it was pretty good and I probably painted and sold
15 angels. I knew I wanted more. I was never good with
faces or people portraits so once again, I pulled out
the Momma Beads and prayed for leadership with this gift
I presumed I had. That very next day I felt called to
paint my neighbor, Rhett Vaughn's home.
Why his and not my own cottage, I do not know but I
wanted to paint his. I texted him to see if it was okay.
He gave me permission, I found a ceramic floor tile
and an old newspaper from the 1900's, combined them
and not knowing exactly what I was doing,
Painted Rhett's home. When I showed it to him,
he was in awe and asked to buy it.
We posted it to Facebook and the rest is history.
Boo found me old roofing slate, straight off a home
in the NOLA garden district, and I began
painting on slate.
I am happy to say that since that day, I have not stopped painting
home portraits.
I have painted approximately 55 and have over 60 orders.
I do something a little different than others,
adding old music or newspaper to the slate in titles
that I feel match the home I am painting.
I try and get to know as much as I can about the owners
and I pray about that too.
I have yet to have anyone unhappy with my work.
I have definitely gotten better since the first work I did
for Rhett.
I truly believe I am meant to be doing these.
Monetarily it is helpful but it is more for my artsy self
that I gain such satisfaction from each piece.
For all those who have already gotten a home portrait, I thank you.
For all those with your name on my list,
I appreciate your patience as although I try and paint
daily I also have a big family, three little grand girls and
a boo that I share my life with.
Not one of these are ever rushed or not done to the
best of my ability.
The best part of each of them is meeting so many new friends,
sharing life stories with each delivery I make,
knowing these portraits are sitting in so many homes,
signed by me, each with a note of love and thanks written on the back,
makes me happy.
I thank my Dad for looking forward into my life,
"In case I lived"
as I am so living and profiting from his gift to me.
And there is the story of the
Home Portraits.