When I was expecting the Critter, I was haunted by the voice of Louise Nevelson in a documentary I saw in design school. I can’t quote her, but she was talking about having children when you’re “on this search” for art and that it’s unkind to put children in in the position of coping with your search. Seeing how she is an extremely successful artist, and had achieved levels of success I only hope to achieve, I had to wonder, how will I do this? It was a recurrent theme for me – how will I keep “doing” art and design and prioritize raising a happy healthy child? It truly felt like providence, lying in bed the first night the Critter came home with us, reading these pages of Ellen Gilchrist’s essay from The Writing Life, ironically titled “How Books Still Change Your Life” – I could do it like Mary Jernigan McCormick! This life so beautifully described by an author who is one of my heroines was just the answer. The art will come to you in all sorts of places, and the rest of the time enjoy creating a life and memories for your boy.

A real life artist mom who never ceases to amaze me with her Southern graciousness, and her adept written renderings of colloquial life, love and food is Courtney Taylor – I met Courtney in college when she was performing as the beautiful Helena of Midsummer Night’s Dream. Above is a vintage photo of Court with her son at The Grandmother’s old place in Mississippi. Courtney is a former Queen of Pilgrimage, which is second in the South to, maybe Queen of Mardi Gras. She’s written cookbooks that are now a staple of any serious Southern cook, and her newspaper columns as food editor for The Clarion Ledger were of the best writing of ever read. I recently heard some radio spots she’s done in her hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, and they were fabulous! I can definitely say Miss Courtney has quite graciously lived an artist’s life while raising two gorgeous and talented children. Her son has grown from the baby in the photo to a huge, handsome, smart, and cultured young man who will be attending college soon. Her daughter is a precious ballerina, and quite the character as well. The reason I’m thinking so much about them today is because I got the photos of Mrs. Taylor in her evil Emmeline Randall makeup in a production of “Southern Exposure” The photos are gems for lots of reasons – they’re interesting photos with a rich simple quality, and the subject looks just – wicked!

Thanks for making it look fun, Miss Courtney 🙂