Understanding

'My mother's shoes' monotype print 8 x10"

As we were cleaning out my mom's apartment after her death, we found letters under her pillow. 

What a surprise!

Love letters between my parents.

Letters written between my mom's mom and my mom, 

after she came back to Hungary from a Russian work camp in 1945.

The love letters we burned and put into my mom's and dad's grave together with her ashes. 

The other letters I kept. 

I was touched deeply, I felt I was holding something very precious.

Holding thoughts of my mom, having heard the stories of heart-ship all my life,

 how my mom worked her way from Hungary to meet her mom in Germany, 

where my grandmother had been deported to.

The longing from both to meet again.

My mom could never understand, how I could have moved so far away from her, 

where it had been such a struggle for her to reconnect with her mother. 

How I could not want to be that girl, she wanted to be so desperately when she was crawling into the coal mine seams somewhere in Russia. 

Wearing girlish clothes, wanting nothing more than being with and like my family.

How she must have struggled all through her life in trying to understand me. 

I know I struggled to understand her.

However, holding these letter in my hand made me understand a little better.

So, I created this piece remembering my mom and her longing for being a girl, 

being a teenager with beautiful clothes,

 not cooking soup out of potato peeling and wondering if she ever will see her mom again.

Using the red shoes as a symbol for her lost youth, 

for dreams that became nightmares, for a connection we never had. 

This monotype print is printed on one of the letters written between my mom and her mom  describing the joy my mom found when her mom sent her a dress. She was released from the work camp, however, she was working on farms in Austria in order to afford the boarder crossing 

to Germany to reunite with her mother.

I am very pleased that after being selected by a jury for the Nonesuch Art of Paper, the image of 'My mom's shoes' appears on the cover of the catalog and is traveling after this summers showing in Parrsboro to Montreal.

Below is the event page if someone is in Montreal  from Dec. 1 - Dec. 16,

 the show is amazing, go and see it! 

 https://www.facebook.com/events/291694191234672/

Accordion Player - Trace Monotype Print

 New Artwork 

I am fortunate

to be able to show my art work.

In the last month,

I had a show

at the Art Lab in Parrsboro, NS,

and at the Fraser Cultural Centre in Tatamagouche, NS.

Parrsboro,

is creating,

or is,

a creative hub in Nova Scotia.

Not only,

do they have

the Ships Company Theater in their community,

they also,

as I understand it are attracting artist 

to emerge into their community

through teaching their skill to others,

or however they see fit being part of this

hub. 

The long term plan,

again as I understand it, is to attract  a lot of 

creative people to live and work in Parrsboro. 

What a wonderful idea!

My partner Mary

and I have taken part in some

of the activities going on in Parrsboro.

I can say,

not only is the Parrsboro surrounded by a wonderful landscape,

it is also 

inhabited by wonderful people. 

I have

become a member of the Art Lab

and had my first show there

however,

I was wondering

how the opening would be going

not knowing anybody.

I had nothing to worry about. 

Some of the Pugwash Art Collective

came and supported my venture - how wonderful! 

And I also

was received by the Parrsboro artists

with open arms.

They definitely

put their money where their mouth is

and make artists feel very welcomed. 

This is the website of the Parrsboro Creative worth checking out   

 https://www.parrsborocreative.com/

 

Trumpet Player 1 - Monotype Print

Trumpet Player 2 - Linoleum cut

Rain 1 - Linoleum cut

All artwork done by Archan Knotz