Motherhood by Molly Benatar [fl 1919-1929]

This picture hangs on my wall. It has done so ever since it found its way into our home a few years back when I was searching for old frames in nearby junk shops…. any old frame I could easily walk home with and then strip bare and reuse on the cheap to frame some of my own paintings, however, I liked this one. I wanted it on the wall and so it started its hanging…. in the living room.

In quick time, it found itself waltzing upstairs with me and unceremoniously being nailed in the small white vacant space next by the shower in the attic room where I knew it wouldn’t receive the same criticism and cause the same angst as it did downstairs ~ about its unreal and sickly sentimentality (apparently). And there it is ~ the picture is still in place … and I do not feel apologetic about it.

Pretty perfect space actually.

Having defended the poor darling lady with her sort of scrumptious adorable well behaved baby over her shoulder, it is kind of strange that it is only today I have looked up and found out a bit about who this Molly Benatar artist lady is; not when she was born or when she died [she hasn’t made Wiki yet for some reason] but she was an artist illustrator in the UK, most of her work being created between 1919 and 1929. She illustrated some of Enid Blyton’s stories. Several works by the artist have been sold at auction, including ‘There’s Magic In It’ sold at Sotheby’s New York ~ the ‘Original Illustration Art from the Collection of Kendra and Allan Daniel’ in 2011. Currently there is a painting by Molly on ebay open to offers at £3,000!

That’s my girl!

Gill McGrath© June 28. one day only. solo show. upstairs

Have you got something you think is lovely (like a painting) but nobody else does? Let me know! Meanwhile here’s a song from Dolly which goes with the situation….

This was Challenge Day 5 (Finale) Head scratching stuff . Thank you to Holly. It was fun
Challenge was to “Post a photo each day for five consecutive days and attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction or non-fiction, a poem or a short paragraph and each day nominate another blogger for the challenge”