sketch for an upcoming motherhood painting ~ by Katie m. Berggren
My littlest boy wasn’t feeling well a few nights ago ~ and after I washed his sweet arms and legs in the sink, caressing him and reveling in his innocent trust ~ I wrapped him in fresh jammies and took him to our rocking chair. A homemade blankie about us, he drifted off in my arms as I rocked, and sang Honey to him, by Dustin Ruth. He truly is the sweetest thing that my eyes have ever seen…
We sat for a very long time. Him, asleep and dreaming with complete openness. Completely comfortable. Me, memorizing every inch of him and enjoying his toes, cheeks, and the way his hand instinctively landed on my breast.
Once he was snuggled safe and warm in the fresh bed made by Daddy ~ I snuck down to the studio to create the above sketch. I am visualizing a 36×36″ large acrylic painting ~ with dramatic darks and lights (or possibly muted tones, hmmmm)…
What comes first? Being an artist, or being an intense observer of life around us? I am forever and daily thankful that I get to live in my paintings ~ that frequently I feel as though I am re-enacting a scene from a painting I have painted, or will soon paint.
Thank you for helping to make this possible for me ~ without my committed, loyal and loving collectors who have make it possible everyday for me to make my living being a mother and an artist, I would be rushing off, with other ‘work’ on my mind. Thank you for realizing the importance of what I find myself doing ~ painting motherhood.
And blessings to you, dear mothers, who do have other ‘work’ ~ yet take the necessary and luxurious patient time to tend to your little ones in the night. Even if it means sleepiness for you, the next day.
When I hold my boys, especially as they sleep, I realize how simple life should and can be. And I remind myself to make it so ~ to let go of that which doesn’t serve my immediate purpose: being their loving mother and creating a warm, clean, blessed house for my family to come home to…. and, to paint & share, of course.
Love, Katie