Much of my artwork has to do with motherhood: the dynamics between a mother and her child, as well as those between a mother and her mother. My own mother frequently appears in my paintings, almost always as a child. Painting her this way helps me understand her better and makes me feel closer to her. It also has the odd effect of reversing our roles, where I can look upon her through the eyes of a mother. This past fall, my mother fell very ill. She gave us all quite a scare. Fortunately, she has since fully recovered. At…