52 - SPIRITUAL COW

SPIRITUAL COW

11 ⅞ x 20 ⅞ inches

(One of many barns on Mom’s childhood farm)

This painting began as a simple exploration of the interior of one of Mom’s childhood barns. While working on the painting, I saw the ghostly image of a cow appear at the far end of the barn and I decided to include it in the painting.

When I showed Mom this painting, she gasped when she saw the translucent cow in the distant doorway. With some hesitation, she asked if I had known about her pet cow that followed her all around the farm when she was a little girl. After telling her that I had no idea that she had had a pet cow, we both felt the shiver of the extraordinary coincidence. As she shared reminiscences of her favorite pet cow, warm memories brought tears to her eyes.

Like life, a painting’s purpose is often revealed in its own time. By looking deeper, a tender memory that warmed both my mother and me was revealed. I love knowing about her childhood and the commonalities we shared, having both lived on a farm. It warms me to know that we both experienced having pet cows.