Maria first called my attention to this water color painted by Joan, a resident of the Mansion. This is the third watercolor of Joan’s that I have seen and I was struck by the detail, thoughtfulness and feeling in it. Joan usually paints abstracts, and she won an award at the Mansion Art Show earlier in the year.

Joan can be forgetful at times, and confused. I asked her about the painting and she told me how important art is to me. “I love painting,” she said, “it helps me to see things. Thanks for liking it.” It was the longest conversation I have yet had with Joan, and the most revealing, I think.

Her art connects her to h er life, her past and to the rest of the world. That, I think, is what her paintings are about. Maria said she is a better artist than many of the abstract painters whose work she has seen.

Joan is sweet and gentle soul, she is one of my favorite portrait subjects at the Mansion, and she very much enjoys being photographed.