Getting the creative juices flowing with our design team.

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Mother with love
Your caring heart and thoughtful ways
mean more to me than you can imagine.
Happy Birthday

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In Summary...

Thanks to our reader Sue Griffin who submitted the above comment to us this week. I really can’t think of a better way to re-cap this series on Mothers and Daughters!

Each duo has so generously shared their photos, artwork, inspirations and thoughts on how creativity has been passed down within their families.  It is clear from these conversations with each mother and daughter how a love for the arts has been nurtured throughout the years… and continues to this day. And, as different as each of the six relationships may be, what is even more apparent is the love and respect between each of them.

Here are a few of my favorite comments we received about the series:

Jane says: … so insightful and fun to read.

Elizabeth says:  It would be so cool to see and Grandmother, Mother, Daughter interview. It might be hard to find the creative triad, but it would be so neat!

Rachel says:  I am loving the "back then" and "right now" photographs in all of the interviews so far. It gives such a neat sentimental feeling to the interviews. MORE MORE MORE!

Olivia says: I could totally see a book made from these inspiring interviews

Mary M. says: The love between a mother and daughter is like no other. The interviews this past week have been proof of that for sure. Well done ladies! Thank you for sharing your stories.

Please join me in one last look at our Mother and Daughter duos along with a couple of my favorite comments we received about each conversation.

Maggie Atkinson (daughter) + Katie Atkinson (mother)

Christian says:  You know you are doing something right when your kid is quoted as saying "(My mother) is a perfect example of how someone can make a career from what they love to do."

Ariel says:  (as Maggie is quoted) "My mother has taught me the importance of being honest with yourself and your creative thoughts. Be original, be yourself, and don't let anyone dictate how something should look." LOVE!

Maureen says: I love the give and take nature of Katie and Maggie's relationship, in terms of art and life experience - something I can surely look forward to with my own daughter! Thanks for sharing.

Candice Molayem (daughter) + Rebecca Molayem (mother)

Karen says:  A talented tattoo artist with a fine arts mother, sounds about right! Haha. You never know! I think they have a strong bond that shines in their interview and work.

Gabriel says: Love this pair! They are very supportive of each other.

Jone says: Oh Candice and Rebecca - your artworks are wonderful! Candice, I adore your tattoo work - you are incredibly talented. And Rebecca - wow. Your painting style is one of the most inspiring I have seen in a long time.

Katie Davis (daughter) + Kathy Davis (mother)

Marsha says: The "note to Mommy" is too cute. Really enjoyed reading this!

April says: The love between the two of you is so nice and comforting. What a great team! This has been truly inspiring.

Lauren G says: Too freakin' cute!

Brita Olsen (daughter) + Sigrid Olsen (mother)

Ines says: WOW! Ummmmmmmmm.... can you say talented?!?!?

Jone says: wow...I feel like such a groupie! I continue to wear my Sigrid Olsen clothes, sad knowing I cannot get them any more. No one does color like you, Sigrid. I am thrilled to "meet" you.... You ladies are so beautiful! Brita, nice to meet you, too, and know that you had so much to do with the inner workings of your mom's company. Gosh, I am such a huge fan... Thanks for being a part of these interviews!

Patricia says: I would love to see more of their work. The pieces they have shared with us today are absolutely lovely. Thank you.

Leslie Shewring (daughter) + Akiko Godo (mother)

Teresa says: I love the philosophy that doing something creative is more important that housework. That's something I need to keep in mind! Great interview!

Denise says: The photographs are absolutely stunning. What wonderful composition and color choices. Love them.

August says: The mood of Akiko's paintings is so interesting. I love the expressive quality and feeling I get when looking at them. Well done Akiko!!!

Jone Hallmark (daughter) + Kate Bergquist (mother)

Karen says: So sweet, I think this entry may have been my favorite. You can tell that this mother and daughter share something very special.

Julia says: (As Jone quotes her mom, Kate) "You can do anything you want to do!” “We used to say we were 5 years ahead of the trend. Follow your heart, please yourself, then wait a few years ‘til it comes around."(That's a great mother right there!)

Valerie says: such a sweet "before" photo of the two :-) Loved reading this entry and all the others as well!

Whether inherited or acquired, creativity is a strong bond that our mothers and daughters share, but it is the love and respect for each other that inspires and strengthens that bond to take on its full beauty.

Thank you for you comments and feedback…and especially for joining us on this blog journey!

Wishing all of you a wonderful Mother’s Day!!!

* The amazing response we have had from readers has inspired us! We are considering a continuation this series with a monthly post in our blog featuring one new Mother-Daughter duo in the Arts. While we focused on visual artists during the interviews this week, we also invite dancers, cooks, musicians, actors, writers, gardeners and craftspeople to email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with their interest. We will then follow-up with criteria for submissions.

Cheers!

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Jone Hallmark (daughter) + Kate Bergquist (mother)

Jone:
For many years, I was a licensed artist in paper goods - cards, stationery, stickers, and scrapbooking. Now, I tend more toward handmade items - papier-mache and paper clay figures, hand-carved rubber stamped cards, painted tin items and embroidery - so much fun! I also teach creative classes and sell my wares through a couple of local shops here in Santa Fe, NM.

Kate:
My life has been filled with executing creative ideas for various occasions - fun and frivolity! Mostly, I use watercolor and pen and ink with the incorporation of calligraphy.

Jone:
I have been very lucky to have been encouraged my entire life to explore my creative path. We spent a lot of time talking about "color" as I was growing up!  I spent 20 years licensing my artwork for other people's products and realized one day that I really needed to get back to basics and simplify. I went to a workshop in France and found a group of talented women much like me who were searching for that wonderful feeling of having created something beautiful with your own two hands. That, plus the deep friendships I have made has brought me to this very personal, delightful place.

Kate:
I started out doing fashion illustration in Chicago in my '20's. When I moved to Texas, I continued that work for some time, but eventually moved into working at the Austin Public Library and a local bank creating artwork of every size and shape for annual reports and Children's Summer Reading programs for years. I did charcoal sketches of children at an annual Art Fiesta each year back in the '60's and am often told that those portraits are still hanging in the homes of the now 50+ year olds. I have licensed my watercolors and calligraphy for many years and continue to paint and write and teach calligraphy.

Jone:
My mom has always been a strong creative force in my life.  From her I learned that you can make just about anything you want rather than having to go to the store to buy it. The process of creating is as great as the end product and fills you with a fearless desire to make MORE! I also really enjoy using a Spencerian bent calligraphy point when drawing or writing - thanks Mom!

Kate:
Jone's work has filled me with delight and amazement of her skill and versatility.

Jone:
Mom and I have worked for the same companies many times - despite the fact that our styles are very different. We are both multi-faceted and we share a love for sophisticated simplicity and detail. We both struggle when we try too hard to make something "just right". But, if we relax, everything just flows and some pretty wonderful work comes out. We both love watercolor, too, and have always had too many ideas, if one can actually have too many ideas.

Kate:
Our styles are completely different, but we share a lot of the same joy. We will tackle anything. Our paths have overlapped and intertwined without intention. There are no boundaries to what can be created - size or material or subject matter.  We both teach and share our knowledge and joy with others.

Jone:
Our styles are different and I tend to branch out using different materials. I always thought that I used more detail in my work, but I recently found some pieces Mom did a long time ago where the detail is astounding. I am much tighter in my line work, though - she tends to be more free with her brush strokes.

Kate:
We have different styles and subject interests.... and use different materials. Jone uses anything and I tend toward the comfort of my pens and ink and watercolors... and fancy, handmade papers.

Jone:
Mom's use of color is incredible. I use a predictable palette - "spring" - and she uses jewel-tones and mixes color to create a wide, unique range to draw from. I just went through much of her artwork archives and found little pieces of art that made me smile - I am inspired by her ability to see things "BIG" also. It is something that I have a hard time with. I tend to work in a two-inch square!

Kate:
Jone’s creative process is unlimited. I am constantly amazed by her ability, her versatility and her finished product. She moves easily from drawings for licensing to tiny, handmade clay birds and papier-mache figures that sit on little boxes. She is also capable of finding that little place in a person's heart and making something just for them that touches that place so deeply.

Jone:
"You can do anything you want to do!"
We used to say we were 5 years ahead of the trend. "Follow your heart, please yourself, then wait a few years ‘til it comes around."

Kate:
Where to begin?  Shear JOY! Neither of us is afraid to jump in and try something new.

Jone:
I hope to continue to find new ways of trying the things I have always wanted to try. It just takes that first step. Sometimes it is hard to remember it can be that easy. I am licensing again and designing fabric - which I love! I hope to be more productive and creative with that ... let the ideas flow!

Kate:
Today, I have been working on a birthday card for a dear friend. I am still active in the Calligraphy Guild, and am still teaching pretty regularly. I continue to contribute to local art-related fundraising. I am still involved on a daily basis, though no longer as a full-time career. I intend to stay active in the production and the joy of it all.

Jone's links:
www.polkadotponie.blogspot.com

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Leslie Shewring (daughter) + Akiko Godo (mother)

Leslie:
I do photography and styling work these days. However, I am trained as an architect and used to do product design for many years!

Akiko:
I work mainly in oils but have spent time doing watercolours as well.  I work with oils on linen, canvas or wood, and out of doors in all kinds of weather - rain, shine & snow.  Oils are a wonderful medium, it is kind to your mistakes & if one has the patience, great things can happen with scrubbing, rubbing or scratching into the painting!!

Leslie:
I love photographing flowers and color stories. These interests came from growing up in my mother’s garden and being around visual arts at a very early age.

Akiko:
I was always involved with drawing or painting at an early age.  Growing up in Winnipeg there were opportunities to enter many art competitions as a young child.  Then in my forties & onwards I started to paint.  I was very fortunate to have had three good friends who were also extremely wonderful artists with varied backgrounds.  One went to an art school in Estonia and the other to the University of Victoria.  The other friend just forced me to go out nearly every day to paint on site and we painted!

Leslie:
I have always had a great respect for the creative process having grown up with an artist parent doing her work around the house. My mother gave me a huge amount of freedom to explore my own creativity around her in paint, clay, food, flowers, collage and the list goes on! This “influence” permeates everything I do.

Akiko:
My daughter, Leslie, is very creative and from an early age did many lovely drawings & paintings.  She influenced me by just watching her work at her art; she enjoyed doing it, it was fun for her…never mind that she produced such great works!

Leslie:
We both love the garden and enjoy playing with bright color palettes.

Akiko:
We are both influenced by nature, especially gardens & show places where specific species of plants are grown, such as apple orchards, ranunculus fields, daffodil farms, and the like.

Leslie:
My mother is a way better artist then me. I wish I could paint as freely as her. It is hard for me to get out of my box of formal design training.

Akiko:
Leslie is more graphic and architectural in her renderings. She likes minimalism with specific use of colours that are so special to her.  I tend to be more free & try to use colour as I see it.  She has a very good sense of colour and is drawn to unique compositions with objects that are found around the house.

Leslie:
My mother was a stay at home mom with three crazy busy kids, and she also cared for my grandfather who lived with us through his later years. Somehow she found the time, even if it was late into the night to paint, to grow the most gorgeous flower and vegetable garden, to cook and bake everything from scratch and to drive us everywhere. I am always wondering how she did it. How did she produce so much creative work with so little time? This always inspires me.

Akiko:
It is a gift to be an accomplished artist, to have passion for your chosen field.  It is hard work requiring energy and focus, especially when one has young children like Leslie does.   It is inspiring to see someone work so hard at their art when there are so many demands on one's time.

Leslie:
Doing something creative is much more important than housework!

Akiko:
The lesson I’ve learned from my daughter is how to be prolific, to do background work by reading, studying, and traveling and then to produce. There are many days when one doesn't feel up to painting because it does take a lot of energy.   My excuse has been to go out into the garden and work hard there! But I will then refocus, taking time to get my materials ready to work, and I paint.

Leslie:
To be a creative role model to my children.

Akiko:
A future goal is certainly to continue to work at my art as best I can and be inspired by my daughter and by people like Mrs. Mary Delany (an artist who lived in the 1700’s) who began her life's work at age 72!

Leslie's links:
www.acreativemint.typepad.com

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