Aging Parent

by Heidi Bruekner

“We observe others as a way of understanding ourselves. My mixed media oil paintings are individualistic narratives which explore personage through self-presentation, facial expressions, and gesture. I often focus on the under-revered, appreciating the subject's presence and dignity, giving pause to honor the person, who is often additionally venerated by envelopment in color and pattern. I want the work to encourage people to appreciate and love one another. ‘Aging Parent’ depicts my mother, an artist, activist, and immense source of stability and influence in my life, who has been diagnosed with dementia. The process of painting her gave me time to think about her and adjust to new dynamics in our relationship, or rather a process of "letting go" of the past. It has been a way of spending time together which has been quite rewarding and personally important, when our verbal interaction can no longer be what it once was. Heidi Brueckner is a Professor of Art at West Valley College in Saratoga, CA where she has taught painting, drawing, and design for 25 years. Brueckner holds a BA in Fine Art and a BA in Art History from University of California, Santa Cruz; and an MFA in Painting from University of Kansas. Professor Brueckner’s work has been shown at museums, galleries, colleges, and in publications nationally and internationally.”