It's in the Genes.....

My mom was very artistic. She had talent. My sister and I found notebooks filled with sketches done when she was very young. And she received a full ride scholarship to go to the Chicago Art Institute after high school. All she had to do was buy her own supplies. I don't know what that would have cost at the time, but she couldn't do it. Her family could not afford the supplies.....so she went on to get secretarial training instead.

Sometimes I think about that. A love of art.....a true talent.....but a budget so tight that there was no "extra" to purchase needed art supplies. I think about that and then I think about how fortunate my sister and I were as we grew up under different circumstances.

I had an interest in art but in high school was going through "college prep" courses such as algebra, biology, history, English, French etc. with no time for any of the "fun stuff". Finally, my senior year, I had a free hour and could take my first art class and I loved it. But it was just for fun and quickly dropped as I went off to college.

Years later, when our daughter demonstrated an early talent (according to her grade school teachers) I was determined to support this ability and Dave agreed. So we took her to evening art classes during grade school and while in high school she had the chance to be an art major with two periods of art every day. Then she was selected to attend a summer program at Trenton State College with other young artists from across the state. And she went to college and majored in graphic design. So Megan was able to follow her muse....at least partially.

Now, as an adult, Meg's art is flowering and changing and growing and developing. Her imagination puts images paper and creates something new in the world. And we are so proud of her and I know my mom would be thrilled.

Meg was part of Milwaukee's Third World Gallery Night last weekend and we drove down to see her exhibit. It was one of those parental pride moments. A brief moment where you just stand aside and look at what "you've" created....this talented woman. (And pretend that your allergies are bothering me as you grope for a kleenex in the bottom of your purse.)

She's an artist. It's in the genes.