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Drawing Life in general Sketchbook Pages Watercolor

Mom’s Home from the Hospital

Mom and Me Again

I tried doing yesterday’s sketch again, this time starting first in pencil and then adding watercolor. It looks a lot more like her and this time our heads are the same size. Yesterdays drawing was the last page in my Aquabee sketchbook and today’s is the last page in my first Moleskine watercolor notebook.

Here’s the original photo:

mom-photoIMGP2983

Mom’s glad to be home from the hospital and I’m glad she’ll have will nurses and home health workers and my sister looking in on her. Hopefully the meds will do their thing and she’ll be able to go back to her normal life without any ill effects.

I also wish her normal life were richer, and filled with more interesting things than constant TV (including favorites the Home Shopping Channel, Court TV and General Hospital), sorting coupons and miscellaneous detritus of a lifetime, and the occasional dinner at Carrows or Norms Deli with friends or family. She used to enjoy painting and photography and collage and travel and walks on the beach.

It makes me sad to see how her world keeps shrinking and her strength and energy for doing new things are fading. And it scares me to see how easily and naturally that can happen as one ages. And it makes me want to stay strong and healthy; always learning and enjoying doing the things I love.

10 replies on “Mom’s Home from the Hospital”

I know exactly what you mean. My father died a year ago, after a long bout of something like Alzheimer’s. My mother seems only lately to be becoming fragile and agitated the way the elderly can sometimes be. Seeing their shrinking world is a sad thing, indeed. In the photograph, as well as both paintings, the closeness and love between you and your mother is so apparent.

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Lovely job, Jana. I’m glad your mother’s TIA was mild. My mother had a major stroke a few weeks ago and last night suffered a heart attack and renal failure. I am flying to Australia tonight to spend her last days with her.

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I find doing the human face a huge challenge. You have risen to it with the soft lines in this one, Jana. Nice tribute. It’s hard to see our parents start to fail.

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So glad to hear Mom is home! What a wonderful painting of you and her. I also went through this with my Mom and dear MIL and it never gets an easier. Enjoy the moment because soon there is only memories left.

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ps — How I know the hurt you are feeling … and how I wish we all had the power to hold onto our parents and infuse them with our strength ….

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I just wanted to say that this is really a nice photo – and drawing of you and your mother. Makes me think of my own mother who died a year ago. All your drawings are very nice!
Halldora, Sweden.

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I understand your feelings. My mum was in rehap after a broken hio but yesterday is back in hospital after they found a growth. She’s very frail and I suppose it’s only natural to see ourselves in our mums. Lovely portrait!

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Dear Jana, This is such a fine portrait of mother/daughter love, both in text and in image. This world of aging and fading used to seem so far away, and then, just lately, I’ve noticed the same shrinking you describe in your mother, only in my own parents. It’s difficult, even if it’s common, like so many of the real things in our lives. Best, BL

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