A Pandemic Extended Stay Thank You
May 2021
Window to The Bay #14
Happy Friday! Did you have a Happy Mother’s Day? As Memorial Day approaches and May comes to a close, so does my extended month of birthday + Mother’s Day celebration - with the two holidays back to back each year (and sometimes overlapping), May is a festive month for me! I’m sensitive to the fact that Mother’s Day can also bring mixed emotions of loss for some moms, children, or moms-to-be - may you find bits of peace, love, and gratitude no matter how you celebrated, and the same as Father’s Day is upon us (don’t forget, mark your calendar to toast to Dad on June 20th!).
A Pandemic Portrait to Thank Mom and Dad
A portrait commission to capture the memory of an extended stay back home
A common story of the pandemic year was adult children venturing home to join forces with extended family through the isolation of social distancing. My own family had the blessing of staying with parents/grandparents for the first two months of the pandemic and we were grateful for the support of extended family to ride the wave of uncertainty and change in those early days. One family did the same, moving from California home to Grand Rapids, Michigan with their young family. I had the privilege of painting a watercolor portrait to capture their family’s life during the unprecedented year, commissioned as a thank you gift for their mom and dad for generously sharing their home for the extended stay.
There are many things I loved about painting this portrait:
A MEANINGFUL INTERIOR. Though this Grand Rapids, Michigan home is beautiful inside and out, it was extra meaningful to paint a house portrait of the interior. This section of the home had been tastefully rebuilt and furnished by the homeowner which makes it extra special to capture in the portrait. I loved featuring the beautiful chair front in center from Grand Rapids based furniture designer Steelcase, appointed with the special touch of a pillow stitched by the owner representing all of her grandchildren. By choosing to depict the interior of the home, we spotlighted where and how the family spent their time, with a laptop and Intelligentsia coffee cup with a California bear for the parents side by side with the kids and their truck, trains, books, and sippy cups taking over the work from home space.
THE VIEW FROM THE WINDOWS. The family enjoyed the benefit of a yard for the kids through the social distancing, and the experience of wildlife including deer and wild turkeys made it extra memorable.
CHILDREN IN THE PORTRAIT. Whether a house portrait has people in it or not, I love infusing a portrait with the special details that make a house feel like a home - that feeling that people really live there. And when I have the opportunity to draw people, especially children, into a portrait, the memories are that much more alive!
SUPPORTING MOMS and babies through the month of may
a Laura Ann Studio fundraiser for help a mother out
As I paint portraits of sweet babies and families, I’m mindful of those whose needs are falling through the social safety net. This Mother's Day and birthday my husband and I skipped the flowers and put the funds toward a diaper fundraiser for Help a Mother Out in support of local moms and babies. Since the start of COVID-19, diaper need has surged by 500%. If you've had a little one in your life, you know what an important need diapers are, and the numerous diapers babies go through each day! Diapers are a small thing but they have a big impact. Diapers are not covered by federal public assistance programs like SNAP (aka food stamps) or WIC (Women Infants Children). Diapers are expensive: a month’s supply can cost a family $80-$100 (retail), a huge expense for low income families. It is not uncommon for families to make impossible decisions between buying diapers for their baby, feeding themselves, or other basic human needs. You may learn more and donate here - thank you! https://www.mightycause.com/story/Hamo-Lauraannstudio
With love for the every day and special days,
Laura Ann Elbogen
P.S. Do you know someone who lived somewhere memorable to weather the storm of the pandemic? Forward this post!