A Quick Bite

Li Li was very busy taking care of her Ah Ma.  Granny was blind and bedridden so all she could afford was a quick bite.

I painted this many many years ago.  It was probably one of my very first experiments in my new textured and carved style of portraits.  I gave it to my Mother, who at that time, was blind in one eye but could still see well enough with the other to drive! I found it here in her apartment last night trying to find an electrical outlet.  The painting had fallen behind her book shelf and was rooted deeply in carpet fuzz and a knot of cords.

 I delicately pulled it out and began to nursed this picture back to health but  I quickly noticed fingernail scratches all over it.  The etches and paint around the face were almost WORN off!  I smelled HAND CREAM on the surface! It suddenly occurred to me that she had been reading my painting like braille!

My mother never enjoyed or approved of my artwork until I began painting our neighbors on Wu Fung Road. It occured to me last night I had finally been successful and that unconsciously I had developed a medium that she could finally see and enjoy. I felt sorry this insight came at the cost of her blindness.

So, I return to the nursing home agian today.  A Quick Bite is refurbished and under my arm. We shall look at LiLi together after our own lunch.

~from Williamsburg