Maman is french for mother. I have known several extraordinary mother figures in my life; my grandmother, my godmother, and of course, my mother. A hard working woman all her life, my mother now spends most of her free time knitting and reading. My mother knits while watching television or while doing the laundry. I chose the latter because there is much more character in a basement setting.

This painting has a peculiar story behind it. Started in 1994, it originally had my mother set against a plain white background with painted elementary school photos of her five children (me and my siblings) on the white background. My intention was to have all of us sign the painting around the painted photos and present it to her on Mother's Day. Sadly, my mother came down with a minor form of colon cancer and the project was put on hold. Luckily, the operation and cancer treatments were a success and she resumed her life thereafter.

Five years after putting the painting on hold, I decided to come back to it and redo the background. Gone are the painted photos of us and instead a basement background included. Recently, while looking at the finished painting, I realized that the cancer was inside her when she posed for me. Viewing the painting with this in mind could have put a bittersweet twist to it, but instead, it only heightens my appreciation for the painting and strengthens the love I have for this woman.