A work in progress...just like her

I painted this for her birthday. She was the only person I could still give artwork to as presents, and not just seem cheap. I didn't finish it, and couldn't really bring myself to work on it. Looking at it made me so sad.

I based it on a self portrait she had done after one of her many falls. For a moment she had this idea she was going to record her illness through self portraits, instead of write about it. I'm still caught between making it look like her and making it look like the drawing she did of herself. In the end its a bit of both.

Last night I was oscillating between emotions like there was no tomorrow, when I passed through one that wanted to finish the painting. Luckily I acted on this one. I still don't consider it finished, but finishing something just isn't very Denise-esque. Dana recently said she thought about having it framed for Christmas, but that it wouldn't truly represent mom unless it sat in a corner with things leaning against it for most of its life. Its true, but now that its more finished, and softer on the emotions in tone, I think its going on my wall. Maybe next to the one of Boompa so they can converse while I'm out.