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My painting, One Night in Taos, was created  for and donated to the Memories in the Making Art Auction to benefit the Alzheimer's Association.  It is one of my favorite paintings that I’ve created – I love the mix of realism and abstract, and the overall child-like feel of the piece.

   Owl by Annabelle Glenn

I fell in love with the owl painting by Annabelle Glenn, an Alzheimer’s patient in the Memories in the Making art program. Her mastery of watercolor amazed me – I love the loose quality and color choices.  I’ve been attracted to owls for a few years, and have painted a few to my satisfaction.  Night Music and Owl Abstraction are two owls currently available through Old Town Art and Framery.

One Night in Taos started out as an abstract based on a trip to Taos three years ago.  The magic of Taos was truly inspiring to me, and I felt a spiritual connection to the area. So you could say I started this painting three years ago, which was right about the time my father’s Alzheimer’s disease was starting to cause him more an more problems.  The painting sat in my studio as an abstract until this past April, when I knew the deadline for the MIM auction was looming.  I almost started on a new canvas, when something made me pull out  “One Night in Taos”.  Right away I saw the owl sitting on a tree branch with the moon behind…and within hours, the painting was reborn.

There are so many aspects of O.N.I.T. that relate to Alzheimer’s Disease.  I feel the owl represents the wisdom and pride still within the person with Alzheimer’s, and the moon glows with the mystery of the disease. The child-like rendering of the tree represents the return to a more child-like state of being.  In Native American teachings, the owl represents death, which can be interpreted as physical death or the death of a way of life – in other words, change.

The changes that occur to a person and their family due to Alzheimer’s is not always bad. My Dad changed from the guy who could fix or build anything – but found it hard to express emotions – to the guy who couldn’t remember how to change a station on the television but could say “I love you” and give a hug at the right moment.

Although I lost my Dad too soon to Alzheimer’s, I will forever be grateful for the love we were able to share in his last year on earth.

If you would like to bid on this piece, click here for info on the Memories in the Making Art Auction, which will take place May 20 at the Hilton Fort Collins. 

Prints of this piece are available, with 25% of the proceeds benefiting the Alzheimer's Association. Email me if interested in a print.