The Prairie TRAVEL MUG STEEL

This is an oil on canvas that I painted for the Indian Prairie Public Library. I worked on this for the first four months at the library, where I enjoyed lots of interaction with young people and families. Of course Coco, my Akita Service Dog was the star. I was just the lady with her holding the brush. In 1994 I was in a serious car accident. I needed to relearn how to read and write and walk and talk. I could do some of these things to varying degrees but needed to start and the beginning to find my way back. It was about two years of rehab in when I decided I wanted to try to write again and to read. I went to our local library in Michigan and the ladies there were so nurturing and so helpful. I felt completely relaxed to say what what difficult and what books I enjoyed. I decided I wanted to create a painting for our local library in Illinois. It is a gift to our community here, that is also very nurturing and well... wonderful. This piece encourages exploration, asking questions and trying to figure out what these images may mean. The whole process of discovery is what learning is all about. And that is what I wanted to create for the library. My paintings usually take one year to finish and this was no exception. The folks at the library love it and that is the bees knees.