My mum the artist with love

I wanted to share one of my most prized possessions. An African Painting by Valerie J. Ibbotson.
My mum has been painting on and off for years and each painting is beautiful and unique. She has an affinity with abstract art but she tries any style and loves texture. A contemporary beach scene she painted for my niece, Darci, was colourful, vibrant and funky. We all love it.
Mum may not believe it herself but she truly is an artist. Darci's piece confirmed it, as did her brother, Wilson's South Sydney Rabbitoh's painting. My step-son Kris has a red, white and black abstract we all call 'the keyhole' and it's pride-of-place at his home with his new wife, Elise. He liked it so much when it was hanging on our wall that I gave it to him, knowing how pleased Mum would be.
I have earlier paintings - 'sunflower', 'zebra stripe' & 'pandanus'. Family and friends are also lucky enough to have been gifted her paintings and I'm sure they treasure them.
I asked her if she could paint me an African theme. I gave her some books and left her to come up with a design. I'm sure love flows through her brush as she strokes. Isn't this superb?

I am so proud of Mum's paintings and I thank her so much for my beautiful gift. Truly she should be selling them and I'm sure they'd be buyers other than family and friends. The canvas and paint cost money (and we know how far money goes these days) but I know her love is always free but we should never take it for granted.
Mum adores painting as much as I love writing and I'm just so happy for her that now she has time to indulge in that passion along with her new one. Her other passion is travelling in her campervan, Smart Car towing behind and Dieter by her side. May she travel many roads and paint many paintings for plenty of years to come.
I hope there's always as much colour in her life as she has brought into mine. Colour me happy! :)