Over the years, I’ve drawn and painted many mother and baby images; some from photos of me with one of our four sons; others, like the faces I draw, are a mix of memory and imagination. They are usually motherhood moments of those special times, of hugs and baby smiles.
Also, being a mum – and as many mums (or moms) reading this will know – those early baby years can mean: long hours of baby crying, tantrums, tears – ( mine too, well, a teeny bit) long nights of little sleep – on call constantly. Some days, there may be not much time to eat or have a cup of tea: dishes piled high on the sink, an ever growing pile of washing…and an overwhelming tiredness…
These motherhood moments are not often mentioned in the arts and media, which can give a rather lopsided view of things! I have elsewhere, written and drawn more, about these less than idyllic, motherhood realities.
And just when you think it’s getting a little easier; you’re thrown into the turmoil of the teenage years.
Many heart in mouth moments..lots of waiting: for the sound of a car, so you know their safely home..for a phone call to know they’ve arrived safely somewhere. Lots of prayer, and still nights with little sleep! Lots of good things too. 🙂
I wouldn’t change any of it.
How tremendously rich and fulfilling my life has been (and still is) as a mother and wife. Quite the opposite, to the often narrow portrayals promoted in media and in general worldviews. I have a happy home, a lovely husband who is also a wonderful dad to our kids. I thank God for all of it – my motherhood journey (and all of my life) could have been very different…..
These days, there’s still plenty of hugs, and I’m the one feeling small – all of our sons are over 6ft tall! They’ve grown into fine young gentlemen; but in someways they stay, always my babies. 🙂 Hmm, don’t know if they quite get that – yet; they will when they have babies of their own.
I’ve rarely had time (and still don’t, that’s fine; family life comes first) to exhibit or share my art and words; so it’s kind of nice to be able to do so here. Thank you for viewing all of this.
Have a great day!
Janette Leeds Art 
Beautiful words, sentiment, and paintings! I feel exactly the same. I have drawn hundreds of sleeping children and painted moments with babies and their grandparents all with such joy. There is nothing more fulfilling than painting loved ones, though I’ve never painted me with my children.
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Thank you, Barb. So special to be a mum…want to do more drawings and paintings of my kids; not that keen on drawing myself really….especially as I get older. 🙂 Hope you have a lovely day. Cheerio, Janette.
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Oh what a lovely tribute to motherhood! Your art I am familiar with, but this post is some of the best prose I have seen anywhere. Bravo!
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Thank you, Ron! Another lovely comment from you. Once again, I’m flattered! I haven’t seen your wonderful haiku in my reader recently, I did visit your blog…and checked again then; finally realized I must have somehow touched the follow button! I’ve fixed that now and I’m following you again. Now I better go and make sure I get your emails! Thanks, again. Cheerio, Janette. 🙂
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Lovely. So wonderful to see your mother and baby artwork. You’re right – there should be more focus on babies and raising children. One of my grandmothers had 11 children and the other grandmother had 10! They both had happy marriages and good lives.
I have no children myself. Thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures and thoughts on motherhood. 😊
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Thank you so much, Maria..I had such a lovely time looking about for which artworks to use for this post; reliving these precious moments along the way. Hard to imagine 10 or 11 children! Four was plenty enough for me. 🙂 All the best, Janette.
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In the past I wished to be able to photograph just-newly-born babies in their mothers’ arms, at the hospital, but never followed up that idea. I loved seeing polaroids of same on the maternity ward’s picture-board; looking at the babies I could tell whether they were old souls, going to be cheeky and a handful, or even very intelligent, expressing their ancestral genetic and dispositional inheritances from both parents. They were all wonderful to see!
I particularly enjoy seeing your charcoal/smudge illustration in this post. Lovely work.
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Thank you. 🙂 Perhaps, eventually you may get to do a mother and baby photo…with all the clever work you are doing with your photos, it would be interesting to see what you would create! All the best, Janette.
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I think it would be an extreme accident for me to photograph mums/babes today! If it did happen, I think I’d rather have a lovely soft photo. :O)
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How sweet and dear – so nice to see your loving portraits.
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Thank you. 🙂
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Very sweet indeed. Makes me long for the days when mine were young again; they’re so precious!
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Thank you. Yes, those baby days and those early years, were so special; yet ofcourse all ages are special in their own way. 🙂 My youngest son is 18, next is 24, then 29 and the eldest is thirty one now…the years have flown by!
I’m very glad to have come across your lovely blog. Your writing is warm, encouraging and informative and I Iook forward to your future posts. God Bless. 🙂
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Thank you Janette for the encouraging words, I’m so happy you follow Reverent Devotion – it’s my heart!
And I agree wholeheartedly how the years while our children were growing up flew by. There are days when it’s hard for me to believe mine are as old as they are. God gives them to us for just a short while though and we give them back to Him. 🙂 May God richly bless you and yours!
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