PORTRAIT OF MY MOTHER, DE YOUNG MUSEUM, PICTURES OF PEOPLE EXHIBITION

 

My contribution to the de Young Museum's "Pictures of People" exhibition

Alice Neel (1900–1984) referred to her paintings as “pictures of people,” emphasizing the humanity of her sitters. She was one of the century’s most radical painters; a champion of social justice whose longstanding commitment to humanist principles inspired her life as well as her art. 

As part of the comprehensive retrospective of Alice Neel's work at the de Young, the museum asked artists to share their creative works of “pictures of people.” 

The museum's prompt: Why and how did you choose to represent this person? How did making the picture help you to better understand this person or your relationship to them?  

My response to the prompt:

Painting my sweet mother’s portrait brought me closer to her. As a toddler, she would tint whipped cream and encourage me to paint on the walls while taking a bath. She taught me to play the ukulele and was my Brownie troop leader. She ran talent shows at my elementary school. She wrote published children’s books that she had me illustrate.

At the young age I was painting, singing and dancing, my mom witnessed the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

She helped name my paintings, until Alzheimer’s slowly took her away from me. Painting my mom allowed me to appreciate her life even more. I love and miss her dearly.

My collection of more than 50 of my Inspirational Women oil paintings was on view during my solo exhibition at Chester County Art Association and at The Media Arts Council.

HUG YOUR MOTHER!

Thank you for visiting,

Merrill