Meeting Colette through the home portraits.

I don't just paint houses.

I don't just paint portraits of houses.

I paint homes on slate, covered with old sheet music

that I pray and go through over 30 books 

until I find the perfect piece for the client I am working for.

The best part of the whole experience for me,

is getting to meet the people that I paint for, learning

about why this home is important to them or

why they are giving this painting as a gift to someone.

When they come to the cottage to pick up their piece,

often it ends with a tour of my special little home

and lots of stories. You would think I would tire

from these visits but I never do. 

As much as I love my own company, staying in and painting,

I love meeting people and each one who orders from

me becomes a friend.

With all that said, let me get to the meat of this blog.

I had the pleasure of painting another home portrait for 

Kirsten Clebert. 

The first time it was she and her Hubby who picked up 

their first piece. Although we talked for some time,

somehow they got away without my tour of the cottage.

On Monday, however Kirsten came to pick up her second

painting with her 11 year old daughter, Colette.

Having been a school nurse for 11 years and with

the first 21 years of my nursing career, having been 

involved with the health of children.

So many children are not very interested in adults or

their conversations. Some say it is because of internet

and the growth of technology happening in their lives.

Yet whatever the reason is not the cause for this post.

It is about a young preteen girl, Colette.

She comes in with her Mother, a petite little child

with the most beautiful eyes not only in color

but in how they engage in the things around her.

Kirsten and she come in to the kitchen and they

both hug me. They view the painting and share their

love for it. Then Colette and I begin talking and she

asks questions about things she sees in the cottage.

"Let me give you the tour"

I am in my element. I never tire from telling the stories

of my own home. We walk in and with each thing

I point out, I see this child's amazement in her eyes.

I tell her the story of My Miss Beasley and having 

had cancer and she hugs her Mom and I see she it

a little teary eyed. She asks questions of things she sees,

She loves the studio, says she would live in there,

I explain I almost do. Just a sweet little child

who has the sweetest disposition.

After about a half hour talking and touring,

she touches me in a way I did not expect from an 11 year old.

We are in my foyer and I am showing them my little closet behind my

fireplace. She looks me in the eye (another thing, by the way, most 

children won't do right up there with ignoring adults)

and asks me a simple question:

"Do you ever get lonely living here by yourself?"

What a sweet thought from a child who sees all the 

things I love but has empathy for a woman she just met

who lives alone. She is hugging her Mother again as I 

answer her that No, I don't because I like my own company

and I have my three grandgirls and many friends and 

family. She is nodding her head as I answer the 

question, almost like she is relieved, like she

truly cared about me being lonely.

Her Mother then shares how Colette was going to a friends 

home for two days and she kept asking her Mother if she 

would be lonely all by herself.

That she would have stayed home rather than have her Momma
being home and lonely.

I love this child, I barely know her and I love her.

To have a thoughtful heart for others, I 

pray that the village helping with
the grand girls, along with their great parents, continue

the job to raising healthy and engaged little teens. 

Sweet Colette.

I know if it were not for the home portraits I may have

never met her or her parents.

This is what my art work does, it brings me so much joy, it
brings me a way to meet

so many new people and such wonderful sweet children.
With that comes the realization that this next

 generation may be different from ours
but they will also have many young adults, raised by
wonderful parents,

who will be a great contribution to our society.

I give her Mother "Kudo's" when I ask for permission

to write this blog.

Keep up the good work you guys and always be

thankful that you were chosen by the Big Man 

to raise such a wonderful child.

I hope to be friends with this little family for the rest of my days.