What We Leave Behind...

I woke up to a text informing me that my dear friend, fellow Artist, Elaine Bowers passed away. If you knew her, and are finding out about this by this post, I’m terribly sorry.

It was Sac Open Studios years ago when Elaine and I met at Elaine’s open studio. She made a promise of coffee together, and actually followed through on it. A rarity indeed. We became friends. Elaine and I hung out over coffee, or lunch, or in open studios, or at art receptions over the years, and always we’d end up laughing together. She’d say something, or I would and we’d crack up for several minutes over it. She taught me so much about being a Professional Artist, and I am a huge fan of her work. We walked in the first Sacramento Women’s March together. Spent the day being kind, and supporting one-another.

Arboretum Iris

When I think of Elaine, I see butterflies. Elaine loved butterflies, and used butterfly imagery in her correspondence a lot. When I think of Elaine, I see Irises. When I was sad over Mother’s Day after the loss of my mom, Elaine gave me Iris bulbs to plant on Mother’s Day to do something positive on a sad day. Now, when I see Irises bloom, I think of Elaine.

Even before I found out about Elaine, I’d been thinking about what an Artist leaves behind. An Artist leaves pieces of themselves, their Artwork. If an Artist doesn’t have children, it’s their artwork they leave behind. A teaching Artist transmits their experience and knowledge and leaves inspiration and information behind, and a following of students who will hopefully never forget their influence in a person’s life. Elaine, was this type of Artist. The type of Artist I strive to be. Elaine, this one goes out to you. You will always be my friend, your gorgeous watercolors will always live on, and I’ll always picture us together… laughing.

Michelle