Update on "I See a Queen"

Some of you might remember my consternation over a painting called "I See a Queen."

After being crushed that I couldn't have the original painting that I fell in love with, I decided to ask my brother's friend Avi, a very talented artist, if she would paint a reasonable facsimile of "I See a Queen." She quickly agreed.

But in the meantime, I happened to check Frank Morrison's site again and noticed, quite accidentally, that they were selling "I See a Queen!"

I quickly halted Avi in her tracks and ordered the painting -- for only $200. I couldn't believe my luck!

But when I got to the very end of the ordering, after hitting submit on all the credit card info. etc., the summary page of what I just ordered looked off to me. The thumbnail wasn't "I See a Queen," but "I See a Queen in Me." The picture was similar -- but not the same.

This is "I See a Queen in Me."

This is a close-up of the girl in the original painting, "I See a Queen." See the difference?

Compared to the one I loved, the mood in this new painting was jauntier, even slightly cartoonish. The girl had less of a sassy attitude and more of a jolly one. I'm all for jolly, but the original little girl reminded me of Clair because of the sassiness. You know my baby is a firecracker! Also, the part in the little girl's hair was one of those zig-zag ones -- and I don't know why, but I have a thing about zig-zag parts. Don't ask. Like I said, I don't know why.

Mostly, I just didn't like it as much. And, frankly, it wasn't what I thought I was ordering! 

So I called the studio and explained my dilemma. The helpful representative told me that there was no way I could have purchased "I See a Queen," because they were never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever selling that again. It was made for some (apparently special) person, and that person only. But the painting was so popular, she said, Frank Morrison had decided to do a similar painting, based on the original. Thus, "I See a Queen in Me."

That was fine. But I told her what I'd seen online. I didn't click on that little girl with the cheery green dress and the happy arms. I clicked on the girl with the attitude-arms and the thoughtful green dress. I know what I saw!

The rep went on the Internet and checked. Sure enough, the website was mistakenly showing the old painting, "I See a Queen" when it should have been showing the jauntier, jollier, new version. She was quite apologetic. Blamed it on the tech guys.

But she was very nice, and I was very nice, and together we came to a compromise.

She asked me to note what it was that I liked about the original. She said she'd take it to Frank and tell him what happened, and see if there was anything he could do to "improve" my purchase. I accepted that as a fine idea, and typed an email with my thoughts. She called a few days later and said Frank had my email and was holed away working on my painting.

"When you get this," she said, "make sure you get it insured. Because now yours is basically a one-of-a-kind. No one else's will be like this one."

I waited with great excitement, thinking Frank Morrison was going to imbue that painting with attitude and mood. I imagined akimbo arms and dusky colors.

This weekend, we got the painting in the mail. It is still very much "I See a Queen in Me." Our girl is still jolly. Her arms are not akimbo, like the Clair-like ones in "I See a Queen." The mood still has a bit too much jaunt for my tastes.

But! He did tone down the cartoonish-ness a bit. The tones are slightly less bright. The dreaded zig-zag part has been replaced by a nice, neat straight one. And Frank Morrison drew my baby girl's name -- inconspicuously -- in the white throw rug on the floor. That really touched me!

So instead of the cheaper version I originally purchased (of which the studio was selling 50), I now have the first of only 10 "remarques" of "I See a Queen in Me." (I had to look that word up. I know nothing about art.) And my remarque will be unlike any of the others!

Who knows if this painting will really be worth anything to anyone in 100 years, when Clair's great-granddaughter goes to have it appraised.

But it means so much to me right now.

Thank you, Frank Morrison. You've earned yourself a fan in me.

I See a Queen

My sister found this picture on Instagram and sent it to me with the message, "This reminds me of Clair."

Self-perception is half the battle.

 I immediately fell in love with the photo. It says to me: Here is a little girl looking at herself, assessing, wondering, "Who am I?" And what she sees is Royalty. Specialness. A Queen.

I LOVE that! And I want it for Clair.

I assumed the art was a page in a beautifully-illustrated children's book. And I have been obsessed with finding this book, so I could read it to Clair, and so I could frame the page and put it on her wall.

Turns out it is not a book. (I found this out using Facebook. Again, I say that Facebook is awesome!) It is an oil painting by an artist, Frank Morrison. When I did a search for him, I was hoping he'd be some small-time talent, who would happily sell his creations to any gushing fan. But of course he would be somewhat famous...

From Frank Morrison's website:

Notable collections of Morrison’s art are owned by former New York City School Chancellor Rudy Crew, New Orleans Senator Gregory Tarver, renown actor/philanthropist Bill Cosby who prides himself on nurturing the talents of emerging African American artists, and Dr. Lorraine Hale among others. His work has enhanced the settings of televisions shows "Malcolm and Eddie", "New York Undercover", "Cosby" and has been a featured artist on the Home Shopping Network.

 

Morrison has received commissions from the irrepressible radio/TV commentator Tom Joyner, the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, and executed serially mounted musical scenes for the compact discs "Impulsively Ellington: A Tribute to Duke Ellington. and Down-to-the-Bone’s "Crazy Vibes and Things". His artwork has been displayed in prestigious locales shows such as "The National Black Fine Arts Show" produced by Jocelyn Wainwright, at the Savacou Gallery in Manhattan, and was honored and given a one-man show at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture sponsored by ESSENCE ART and Toyota.

He earnestly declares that he is rendered speechless with pride when he finds his work displayed adjacent to and in conjunction with Romare Bearden originals.

Romare Bearden?? Bill Cosby? Sheesh. I doubt I could even afford this charming and poignant painting, I See a Queen, but I went to the site anyway to scope it out.

Sadly, the website says it is "SOLD."

I emailed the site and asked about whether this means I really and truly can't buy it. But I haven't heard back yet.

In the meantime, I asked a family friend (a wonderful artist who used to date my brother) whether she thought she could do something similar. But now I'm having second thoughts about that. It seems unethical somehow -- asking an artist to essentially "copy" another artist's work.

I'll have to really think about it - and pray about it - before pulling the trigger on that one (that is, if she even agrees to do it).

So I don't know if Clair will ever see this piece hanging proudly in her room, reminding her how special and uncommon she is, and to value and protect her self-worth.

Which is why I'm putting it here on this site. At the very least, one day she'll read this and know that when I look at her (with her little arms akimbo, just like that!) I truly do see a Queen.

UPDATE: Mr. Morrison WILL commission that painting for me -- for $1,500!!
Well...back to the drawing board (pun intended).

The word of the day: Perspective

Yesterday, Lester took Dean to the doctor to see about the complaint he was having about his ear. We were especially vigilant because Michelle told us that Dean had a little waxy substance coming out of his ear when he woke up from his nap the day before.

This happened with Cary over the holiday break, if you recall, and it turned out -- after a few days of us thinking it was only ear wax -- he had a burst eardrum! So we weren't taking any chances with Dean.

Guess what? Dean has an ear infection. And of course he would! This is the Davis House of the Infirm is it not?

That makes us 3 for 3 for kids with ear infections this winter. And it also brings the total number of people on antibiotics in our house to 3 (Dean, Clair, me). If you count Michelle, who has also been taking antibiotics to help with her month-long sickness, that's 4 people!

And we're now on week 4 of me being sick -- although I have to say, I am feeling better finally, thank the good Lord in heaven (and also thanks to the wonders of modern medicine. And time, too, I suppose.)

Anyway, I got a good dose of perspective this week from Laura C. so I have resolved not to complain about the relatively minor things that are affecting our family's health.

Instead, I will take time to reflect on how amazingly amazing my children are. Because they are here for such a very short time, in the scheme of things, and tomorrow is never promised.

Even though I felt like shiznit, I took the boys to the playground on Sunday, because it was such a nice day. We ate snacks and played for close to two hours. They loved it!

 

Here they are playing "train." Dean is the "tunductor." At one point, Cary looked at the letters on the side of this toy and said, "B. Eight. O. Spells 'train.'" I told him he was absolutely correct.

At some point on Sunday night, while I was fixing dinner and Lester was "watching" the kids in the basement, and also the football game, Dean brought me my cell phone, which had been disabled. Why was it disabled? Because Dean had been playing with it -- a No-No! -- and iPhone shut him down!

Later on, I looked through my photos and found that my Dean is an incredible artist. Check out these two selfies he took -- somehow using my Hipstamatic program.

The perspective on those selfies just grabs me. Who is that little boy? What is he thinking? What does he want out of life? Where will he end up in the future?

Anyway, he also somehow got into a drawing app I have on my phone for kids, created an abstract - and then took a screen shot of it.

What does it mean, Dean? What does it MEAN?!

I honestly have no idea how he was able to do all this. But one day, when my child's artwork and photography is hanging up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, don't say I didn't tell you.

And, just for good measure, here's a picture of  my darling Clair -- without her hair standing up all over her head.  For a kid with an ear infection and RSV, she is really super pleasant. And cute, too.

Hello lovely!

And, since I am in supreme children-appreciation mode, and want to savor all my wonderful memories with them, here is a video of the boys when we were watching the Inaugural parade on Monday, and they got inspired by the marching bands to dance along. I hadn't intended to post this, because the playroom looks such a mess. (Isn't that silly?) I mean, who the hell cares? Having kids is messy sometimes, and in our house, more often than not. So here they are, the marching, dancing Barack Obama-loving Davis boys:

I was feeling like total crap by the end of the day Monday, and I was also feeling just a wee bit jealous of all the people who got to go to the Inauguration and feel -- in person -- the simultaneous solemnity and excitement of the day.

But in retrospect, I am so glad I got to spend a few minutes in the messy basement playroom, with my children, enjoying them as they jumped and danced and marched and laughed. These are the moments that give meaning to my life.

Perspective = Realizing I wouldn't trade this time with them for anything in the world.

Cary, the budding artist

Cary drew a face yesterday!

Can you see it?

Yes, it's a little abstract, but strettttttttch your minds. See it? 

What I don't know is whether he set out to draw a face and then created this masterpiece, or if he was just scribbling away, stepped back to look at his canvas, saw a "face" and declared it so! Either way, it's pretty darn cute.

Speaking of cute, we found a book that makes the boys just CRACK UP laughing. It's called, "Good Dog, Carl," and has hardly any words. It's mostly just pictures of the antics of a dog and a baby left alone to their own devices. If you're looking for a fun book to buy toddlers, this one is a good one. My two made me "read" it  six times yesterday!

BAD dog, Carl!