Portrait Statement

digital

These are portraits of women who came to the

art classes I taught in nursing homes.  Most of

the people in these facilities are women. 

We do not give older women

the respect they deserve. We do not take the sags,

bags, and wrinkles as marks of experience,

wisdom, and courage that could be celebrated. 

We do not fully accept the stages of life

beyond the bloom of youth.

That bloom is such a small percent of our lives.

The media with its advertising of youth

preserving products encourages us to put

time, money, energy into hiding our aging from

others and, ultimately ourselves.  That energy

would be better spent acknowledging and

preparing for life's changes.  As older people we

can have greater knowledge of ourselves and

the world.  Our additional years give us a perspective

younger people can consult.  In the winter of

life, we can face our declining energy and increasing

disabilities with courage and humor.  We need

to be role models for the young rather than

stuck in imitating youth.

  With these portraits I wish to honor women

in nursing homes.  I hope we can all measure

up to their strength, wisdom, and humor.