To be a mother is to be interrupted, and to be an artist is to be interrupted. But the mother-artist is never just interrupted—she is torn in two. – Catherine Ricketts, Mother Artist
This painting is a tribute to every woman who has wrestled with the impossible balance of nurturing both a child and a creative life. Motherhood demands everything, yet the artist within us still lingers, waiting to be seen, to be heard, to create.
As a Mother Artist myself, I know the struggle intimately—the stolen moments of creativity between nap times, the frustration of half-finished ideas, the struggle of choosing art or laundry (or dishes, or cleaning the floors, or…). But I also know this: you are still creative. You are still an artist. Just like I am.
This 18×24 gouache piece captures that tension and beauty. It is based on a photograph I took of myself and my son in his pack and play—the very one that lives in my studio, a physical reminder of how intertwined my two worlds have become. The soft, flowing strokes reflect the gentleness of motherhood, while bold, intentional lines remind us of our own creative fire—one that doesn’t disappear when we become mothers but instead transforms.
In this piece, I am wearing a jumpsuit I didn’t yet own but had ordered because it made me feel the most like me. The act of painting it into the piece felt like manifesting a version of myself I was still stepping into. My Matrescence journey has been anything but easy but I finally feel like I’m fitting into it, 10-months later. And these small moments, when I feel the most like myself, Usually when I feel most like an artist, are moments I don’t take lightly–so just buy the jumpsuit already!
I struggled with getting my son’s face right—his skin was in deep shadow, and what felt true to the reference didn’t translate in the painting. I painted over it at least 3 times and while it still feels slightly off when I look at it too long, I’m happy with how it came out. You can tell what he’s in and the conversation we’re having just the two of us.
“This is the paradox of mothering: you will lose yourself and find yourself again and again.” – Mother Artist
I painted flowers on the canvas I’m working on in this painting, even though I rarely just paint flowers in real life. It was an unconscious decision, but one that now feels like a quiet nod to growth, fragility, and beauty in transition. Or it could be that I’ve been in winter far too long!
The reality of being a mother-artist is that there is no clear path. Without a major benefactor—historically a husband or father—women throughout history couldn’t both have children and be artists. How many works of art, novels, and symphonies were lost to us because of this? How many voices never had the chance to be heard? To this day, women are still pushed out of jobs, can’t get a seat at the table, are unable to get to the top unless they want to choose a career over children.
“Making art as a mother means making art in the in-between spaces of your life.” – Mother Artist
I am one of the lucky ones. I have a benefactor in the form of my husband, who carries the majority of our household income and supports me not just financially but emotionally, by ensuring I have the space and time to work. My hours aren’t 9-5. They are stolen pockets of time—nap time, evenings after he gets home, the precious hours when grandma visits (my other benefactor).
It’s not just about finding time; it’s about finding creativity within the exhaustion, the interruptions, the ever-present needs of others. Some days, I don’t feel like an artist at all. Some days, I feel like I am failing at both. But then, in a rare quiet moment, I pick up my brush and remember: I am still here. I am still creating. And that is enough.
This painting now lives as a time capsule of my studio as it is, of my son at this stage, of myself as a mother in transition. It is a reminder that even in the midst of matrescence—the becoming of a mother—we are still artists, still whole, still worthy of creative expression.
“You are not just a mother. You are a mother and.” – Mother Artist
Our creative practice, our voice, is so vital. It’s not just to feel seen or to get through the crazy phase of matrescence, but to also mark our stories and experiences in history. A gift that many of our ancestors weren’t given. The voice of mother’s is needed in our society. They are often pushed to the background to become invisible but this painting and many of my other mother based works are a reminder that your story, your voice, your experience matters. However you like to create, it’s important that you share it all with the world.
Mother Artist is a painting of that expression. It’s the reminder to pick up your pen/brush/camera/etc and leave your mark on the world. Tell your story. Grow in your craft. And do it with your children watching. They’ll be better for it.
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