Being an Artist and a Mother

"Poppying Up", oil. 14"x11"

On the eve of Mother's Day I was remembering my life as an artist and a mother of 3 children. Raising children and being an artist is a big balancing act. It is also a reason a lot of people, including some artists, don't take us artists who have 2 lives very seriously. I have experienced that attitude and in spite of it I have raised three children and have had a rising career as an artist. This is due to several things: I treated my art as a serious business, I had regular "art hours", and I didn't volunteer for everything. I learned to say "no". While my children were at home, I scheduled my art activities around naps, and later school hours. I was always ready to drop everything when a child needed me. I feel that my art helped me to be a better mother and being a mother helped me become a better artist.
Happy Mother's Day to all you artists out there!