© Ellen Blonder
One more watercolor spot from the book proposal. My mother patiently knitted her children tight wool vests to wear under our clothes. In China, the extra layer was probably a necessary and welcome garment, but in our overheated American classrooms, they were itchy, uncomfortable, and--most important when we were struggling to blend in--often visible under our clothes.
I incorporated a scanned photo into this watercolor, where my vest (or "long bu dop" in my Chinese dialect) was clearly visible under my square-neck dress. I longed for spring when I would finally be allowed to wear the dress without the vest. Only later did I appreciate her extraordinary knitting skills and determination to keep us warm.
No comments:
Post a Comment