With Thanksgiving nearly here, I wanted to share about my mom’s turkey painting.
Way back when I was a little girl, my mom and her good friend, Molly, got into Tri-Chem painting for a while.
If you’ve never heard of Tri-Chem, it was sold in home parties (like Tupperware or Mary Kay used to be), and was technically referred to as Tri-Chem Liquid Embroidery. Basically it was ball-point tubes of paint you used on fabric. You could freehand things, or purchase iron-on transfers or even paint-by-number types of artwork.
I think Molly was a Tri-Chem dealer for a while. I remember she had the fancy tin pictured above and the wheel of paints with so many pretty colors.
Mom let me use (play) with her paints. I remember her tracing coloring book images onto blocks of white cotton fabric for me to paint. She even framed one of my fledging artistic endeavors and gave it to my grandma for her birthday one year. It hung on grandma’s wall until she passed away.
One year, Mom decided to make a special painting for my grandpa’s birthday in November. He grew up in Missouri and loved to hunt, so she choose a turkey scene to paint for him. I remember watching her work on the painting for weeks, stealing moments to paint at the end of a long day. When she finished it, my brother made an oak frame for it and Grandpa was so pleased with his gift. The painting had a place of honor at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. After both of my grandparent’s passed, Mom got the painting back. It used to hang in the hallway heading into the family room at the farm. When my parents moved to town, the painting hung in the hallway near the kitchen.
After we lost Mom in April, Dad and I were talking one day and I mentioned the turkey painting and how artistic I thought Mom had always been, even if she didn’t always have time to pursue it. I told him about watching her and Molly use the Tri-Chem paints and playing with the tubes. I came home that trip with Mom’s turkey painting. It hangs in Captain Cavedweller’s man cave now, and every time I look at it I smile, warmed by sweet memories of Mom and my childhood.
Thanksgiving this year will look so very different for most of us, but I hope however you spend the day, you have wonderful memories to cheer you and loved ones to surround you, even if it is with a virtual hug.
Happy Thanksgiving, my friends. May we all count our blessings and look forward to a joyful holiday season ahead.
5 Responses
What a marvelous treasure. I have wonderful memories of Thanksgivings past in my childhood home which we live. I can still hear the voices and laughter of my aunt, uncles and cousins. I pray you have a blessed Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for sharing the painting and your memories.
Oh, it sounds like you had wonderful times at your childhood home, Debra! Thank you so much and wishing you a beautiful, blessed Thanksgiving!
What a beautiful painting and a touching story. I’m thankful for you and your wonderful writing ability that provide me, and many others, with so much joy. When I read your books a peace settles over me and I feel so relaxed. It is such a comfort to feel that.
I’m so, so grateful for your readership, Barbara, and love hearing that my books are something that helps you relax. That is just awesome! Wishing you a glorious Thanksgiving! Blessings!
Wow, Shanna, your Mom was an amazing artist! I’m 76 and I used to paint with Tri Chem but I am here to tell you that my work NEVER looked like that and I still pursue artistic hobbies. You have a lovely memory, lucky you!
Thank you for the total entertainment that I derive from reading your books! I am very grateful to lose myself in a good story when I am not busy care giving for my 94 year old Hubby. I have a Captain Cavedweller of my own, LOL! Lucky me, we are married almost 60 years!