Mary in Grandpa’s Chair

As you can see by the date, I painted this water colour painting many years ago.  It is a picture of my favourite doll, a rag doll I named Mary.  My great Aunt Bessie made the doll for me the year I turned one.  She made it out of bleached flour sacks and if you looked carefully you could still barely see the faint outline of Robin Hood on her face.  I loved that doll and took it everywhere with me.  I even had plans as to how to make sure she was the first thing I saved if our house was ever in a fire or other disaster.  I planned to toss her out of the window.  I cuddled up to Mary every night and she heard all of my woes and all my happiness.  She was water stained, tear stained and sometimes even, orange juice stained. She was my security blanket, my best friend and often my pillow.

I painted this picture for my parents.  Mary is sitting on the chair they had recovered for my husband and I when we got married.  The chair was one that my Grandpa Pearce (Poppa) won as a prize in lawn bowling.  I remember going to the green with him when I was small and watching him bowl.  So, you can see, this painting is full of memories for me.