May 16 – Barbara Olson Lawrence – Drawing Water – Mother’s Day
Bio: Barbara Olson Lawrence is inspired by sunrises, persistent rivers, and beautiful sentences. In her thirties, as a single mom working in a college library, she earned a BA in art and exhibited her work in juried shows in museums and galleries in the San Francisco Bay Area. A native Oregonian, she now lives in Northern California’s Gold Country in the Sierra Nevada foothills. On her daily walks she collects fallen leaves for later drawings using her favorite pencil.
Book: Drawing Water: The Art of Finding My Way is a memoir of resilience and overcoming odds. It is a testament to the power of kindness and caring interventions to heal a damaged heart. Barbara Olson Lawrence learned very early on to tell the difference between people who meant her harm and those she could trust. Her beloved grandfather’s lessons imparted strong life strategies. Her second-grade teacher and a store clerk filled the void left in her heart by her mother’s neglect and destruction. How can someone be a good mother if she never experienced good mothering? Barbara answered that question by seeking out nurturing helpers and wise mentors. Always, making art saved her.