This friend is a educator, gardener and grower of community. The child in the painting is a tender plant she has nurtured. Linda has cultivated many gardens including the Kids Can Grow program on Manitoulin.
Community Gardener
Tag: Oil
Kinswomen
Two young ladies, socially distanced at the time of painting, brought together on these small 8″x 8″panels. Raised with love, care and vigilance, well prepared to offer service to the world of humanity.
Trio
Three faces in a small square. The July series was done on 8 x 8 inch Masonite squares so the faces of this loving family are quite small. I know this family well and the love they have for their grandkids is boundless. When I look at the painting I see the constant effort and vigilance this Poppa and Nana (not in the painting) practice in guiding these young ones. It is a remarkable illusion to have so much meaning in miniature.
O God! Educate these children. These children are the plants of Thine orchard, the flowers of Thy meadow, the roses of Thy garden. Let Thy rain fall upon them; let the Sun of Reality shine upon them with Thy love. Let Thy breeze refresh them in order that they may be trained, grow and develop, and appear in the utmost beauty. Thou art the Giver. Thou art the Compassionate.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
The Hug
When my friend submitted a photo of her grandkids the look of surprise on the little girl face made me laugh. This brother and sister are truly loving companions even tho the painting doesn’t exactly describe them that way.
“Spiritual souls! Tender souls! The hearts of all children are of the utmost purity. They are mirrors upon which no dust has fallen. But this purity is on account of weakness and innocence, not on account of any strength and testing, for as this is the early period of their childhood, their hearts and minds are unsullied by the world. They cannot display any great intelligence. They have neither hypocrisy nor deceit. This is on account of the child’s weakness, whereas the man becomes pure through his strength. Through the power of intelligence he becomes simple; through the great power of reason and understanding and not through the power of weakness he becomes sincere. When he attains to the state of perfection, he will receive these qualities; his heart becomes purified, his spirit enlightened, his soul is sensitized and tender — all through his great strength. This is the difference between the perfect man and the child. Both have the underlying qualities of simplicity and sincerity — the child through the power of weakness and the man through the power of strength.”
— ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
A painting a day in July 2020
For a self-directed art education challenge in July, friends were invited to send me a photo of themselves or a loved one for me to sketch or paint. There were five drawings and 26 paintings completing this challenge. Some were a good likeness and others just didn’t get there. A lot of learning happened for me in a short period of time. All of the portraits were 8″ x 8″ except one. The cedar frames were made by Jay Swain in Kagawong.
This group of six portraits are the children form the Sudbury Baha’i Children’s Class. The boy with the fish is my grandson Cole. It was a delight to study their shining faces.
“Children are the most precious treasure a community can possess, for in them are the promise and guarantee of the future. They bear the seeds of the character of future society which is largely shaped by what the adults constituting the community do or fail to do with respect to children. They are a trust no community can neglect with impunity.”
— The Universal House of Justice
Pam Jackson 