Siuce the birth of our son life became all the more busy and full. Shortly after my most recent post, in October of 2017, my husband's youngest brother died in a car wreck, and our lives have been a bit topsy turvy ever since, helping the family to grieve and dealing with our own sadness. Meanwhile as a Christmas gift, I asked my husband to make it possible for me to pursue my rock climbing (bouldering) hobby more seriously. I wanted to get back in shape after 3 pregnancies (one miscarried baby in heaven) and 2 full term births. Well things have taken off since then, and both me and my husband are in the best shape of our lives. I also haven't had to promote my art as much these days, but opportunities I planted seeds for years ago have come to fruition. The best recent example of this: I was surprised that my application to "Vulcan's on Parade," a local public art project with Vulcan Park and Museum here in Birmingham finally found the right audience. I had submitted my application about 2 years prior and in spring of this year was contacted to see if I could produce a painted Vulcan replica (statue provided) asap. By Summer of 2018 it was installed at Magic City Dentistry in downtown Birmingham, who chose my design for their business. Please enjoy this timelapse. I will probably post faster (and therefore shorter) versions on my other social media profiles. This was about 3 weeks after our son was born. I won "Best in Show" for the Homewood Day Sidewalk Chalk Competition.
Miscarriage Mother GooseSonia Summers June 13, 2016 Mama had a little babe, Little babe, Little babe, Mama had a little babe, The gender she won’t know. Everywhere that Mama went, Mama went, Mama went, Everywhere that Mama went, That babe was sure to go. Pease porridge hot, Pease porridge cold, Pease porridge in the pot, 4 weeks old. It rode inside her baby bump, Baby bump, Baby bump, It rode inside her baby bump, But still could not be seen. Then Mama saw its heart beat fast, Heart beat fast, Heart beat fast, Then Mama saw its heart beat fast, Upon the doctor’s screen. Pease porridge hot, Pease porridge cold, Pease porridge in the pot, 8 weeks old. But one night Mama saw some blood, Saw some blood, Saw some blood, But one night Mama saw some blood, And she got really scared. And Papa held tight Mama’s hand, Mama’s hand, Mama’s hand, And Papa held tight Mama’s hand, ‘Cause Baby wasn’t there. Pease porridge hot, Pease porridge cold, The baby didn’t even make 9 weeks old. A D&C will wash it out, Wash it out, wash it out, A D&C will wash it out, My Fair Lady. NOTES: I have always been a poet, having worked at poetry, even recognized competitively almost as long as my art. But poetry only "turns on" for me when I flip a switch or something flips it for me. I think one reason this piece hits hardest for me, is it concretely conveys the deadness inside when experiencing a miscarriage. You are stopped in your tracks, just like any sudden tragedy, but as an expectant mother, the death is literally inside you. There is a deadness to this poem that sounds clinical and disconnected. Simultaneously, this period in my life also involved raising a toddler, who was our joy and inspiration during this sad time. The childlike symbol of the nursery rhyme in the narrative of this poem reflects that very young point of view, as our toddler probably wondered why her parents were so sad. Don't worry about the sadness for us. The greatest healing we experienced came from other families sharing their miscarriage stories with us. I think people in general have begun to realize that as well. I hope that sharing my story helps others.
So many thoughts behind the impetus to paint this. The date is important; 2016 has been a brutal year for almost everybody, but it's almost over. Besides that, at its most basic essence, this is JUST a portrait, the result of an exercise of my skill as a portrait artist. There is power in portraiture. The artist takes control over the likeness of a subject and makes it his or her own. Most of my portraits are commissions from customers, but when I paint a portrait of my own choosing, I get to control the style, the definition of detail, the overall design. This painting can be taken neutral or critical, relief, all connotations associated with my Conservative point-of-view of American politics, but if someone I disagreed with were to like this piece for other reasons, I wouldn't be offended either. After all, it's just a portrait. "December 2016"
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May 2021
AuthorSonia Jackson Summers |