Painting Joy

Winter still life, by Louise, inspired by Charlotte Hardy

Last week, I was lucky enough to be with one set of grandchildren in Boston for a few days. My granddaughter Delilah, age 10, and I have a tradition of going to our two favorite Boston museums in December. I pick her up at her school for early dismissal on Friday a little after 1:30. We head right to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and to the cafe where we share peppermint tea with honey and the cookies of the day. What a treat. Then, we wander into the magical courtyard created by Isabella, which is described as part Roman sculpture garden, part Venetian palace, and part cloister. We have loved this place with seasonal blooms and trees, trickling fountains and spacious elegance from the time Delilah was very little. She looks forward to picking up a treasure hunt prepared by the museum and setting off for all three floors looking for clues to find paintings, sculpture, or tapestry. This remarkable place of wonders was all collected and curated by Isabella between 1890 and 1924. I recently read a biography of Isabella, Chasing Beauty by Natalie Dykstra. I have a new understanding of Isabella and the many works that she collected with dedication and devotion with the vision of opening a museum for the public to enjoy long after her death.

At the Gardner with Delilah

After our fill of the Gardner, we walk several short blocks to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. We usually visit a special exhibit and always visit our favorite painting by John Singer Sargent on the second floor of the American wing, The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit. The painting is now in Paris in the special exhibition, Sargent and Paris. We will miss the girls until their return in the spring of 2026.

Delilah, age 4, with The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, by John Singer Sargent

We conclude our museum excursion by having dinner at the New American Cafe in the great hall at the MFA, home of the great Chihuly glass sculpture. This outing is one that we both look forward to all year. I feel so very fortunate to be able to pass on the love of museums to Delilah as my mother did for me, from a very young age. I have high hopes of doing the same for our other grandchildren.

At the Gardner with grandson Jack, age 7

The Saturday morning after our museum visits, we went to pick out a Christmas tree. Delilah and her father, our son Alden, and I decided to draw and paint some favorite Christmas ornaments. A few weeks ago, I attended an online workshop with Charlotte Hardy, a British painter whose work I love. The workshop was focused on painting beloved Christmas tree ornaments. She encouraged us to collect our own special ornaments. I was so happy to learn Charlotte’s process in drawing and painting. I shared it with Delilah and Alden and we had a grand time, first drawing and then beginning to paint our drawings of ornaments.

Painting ornaments with Delilah and Alden

In this season of snow and celebration, I am deeply grateful for seeing and painting with many colors, and for music and singing, and for being with my beloved grandchildren. I have taught many children over so many years. The joy found in creating with others is sweet. When those others are your children and grandchildren, the joy overflows.

I wish you all much joy and peace with family and friends in this lovely wintertime. Engage in whatever creativity you can…bake cookies, make wreaths, make special notes for friends, and maybe find some paints. I found a blog post I wrote in 2016 entitled Seeing and Drawing.

I end that reflection this way…May we all take time, make time, slow down, notice, pay attention, fall in love with the world, use beautiful materials and all the languages we have to represent what we love, and make beautiful things, for ourselves and for others.