Grandmother's China

I'm working on another portrait of a grand daughter.  This one is to go with the "Grandmother's Wedding Dress" Painting.  It is "Grandmother's China".  It is my "homage" to my own grandmother Marion Sommerville Watson Hamilton.  There is a lot of personal meaning for me as an artist in this painting.  My grandmother Marion or May as she was known, painted china.

I have a set of her china that very much resembles the colors in this quilt.  My granddaughter pictured in the painting is also named Marion.  She just happens to be the age I was when my grandmother died.  I wasn't lucky enough to know my grandmother as well as wee Marion knows me, though I do remember her love for playing games, just like my granddaughter.  

The quilt was only hung to actually hide the concrete mixer in the background but I liked how it turned out and gives it a Southern feel.  It was fun to paint and with each little flower that I painted I thought about my grandmother and her china flowers.  There is a table in the painting.  The table just happens to be made by my husband's 2nd great uncle William Zock.  

On the table is a cup of tea in gran's china.  So I will actually be painting something she painted.  I picked out one with flowers and a little bluebird on it.  That will be the last thing I paint.  Stay tuned for more photos as I wrap this one up.  When I took the photo, the scent of the honeysuckle was drifting up on the porch so I thought it would bring back happy memories for my grand daughter to include it in the painting.  I was also able to paint from life on this painting as Marion dutifully sat for me on a recent day at Nana's.  The dress came from Melbourne, Australia from a wonderful children's boutique that I recommend for portraits.  Remember my moto is the clothes should be a work of art.  Here is a link to their website.  dollcake.com

Here are some photos of my grandmother's china!

In June I finally gave Kimon's painting a varnish and shipped it off to him.

The painting is in memory of his beautiful wife, Barbara.

Thanks for following along with my work.  I am humbled by the response I get and lovely comments!