Be part of The Art
Through paint, paper and people we want to capture what it means to be a working mother.
Our goal is to collect and compile 250 pieces of individual art, painted by working mothers around the globe, to showcase the richness and diversity of what it means to mother and work.
We will then knit together each painting to create one masterpiece through film and with a little luck, an in-person gallery exhibit.
No painting or artistic experience required. We suggest taking a photograph and using that as a prompt for painting. All styles welcome from abstract to realism (see below for more details)
No two experiences are alike. Paint and share yours.
The gallery.
Your Art here.
Original Music
Who knew when we started this project that not only would we receive original paintings, mosaics, and poetry, but that we would also receive original music. What a gift to see this project grow and evolve.
We are so grateful to our first musician, Margaret Dahlberg, a Calgary-based musician, performer and teacher, for submitting her original piece. She writes, “I wanted to capture the sense of peace one finds following a great challenge. That feeling of being able to look back, reflect on what one has gone through and get a birds eye view of one’s struggles and one’s accomplishments. Parenting offers some of the most challenging reflections upon decisions we’ve made.”
Paint it.
You’ve decided you want to participate, but don’t know what to do next. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back:
Get your supplies. Using your child’s watercolour kit / paint set / crayons is totally fine. We recommend thicker paper vs. a standard piece of printer paper as thinner paper tends to crinkle.
Take a photograph of what it means to be a working mother to you (if you want). Print it.
Carve out some quiet time to allow your creative brain to come alive (it’s in there, we promise).
Using the photograph as a prompt, let whatever comes up, come out. You can stick close to the photograph, or let your painting, drawing, clay (you get the picture) flow into something abstract. Don’t edit your art. It may not be what you had in mind, but it’s still your story and it’s beautiful.
Write your name and the date in the bottom right-hand corner of your art and on the back of the photograph.
Email us at workingmotherexperience@gmail.com to get the mailing address and submission form.
Mail us your photograph, painting, and submission form.
Wait to see your art on our site and in the final film.
We guesstimate this project taking 2-3 years to complete (yes, it’ going to be a journey) so we greatly appreciate your patience as we knit together this rich and diverse quilt of art. We are just as excited as you to see the finished product!