Little tribute to an old friend in art

I found out by chance yesterday, that Maureen Jordan, an old friend in art and adventures, and keen follower of this blog, had died last winter.  In her last few years, her healthy declining sharply, she had preferred to be among family, and I had respected that wish, so I wasn't aware that her life had ended.

Here she is, on the right, one of her last outings, in 2012, at a fiberarts opening at the library gallery, good naturedly holding a Dolliver, she picked Blondie Firstborn, along with four other special friends on Dolliver duty.  

Left to right Shabnam, Girija, humble blogista, Stefi, Donna and Maureen.  Good friends don't mind posing with dolls!  All artists, the two on the left artists in food, they all had a good time fooling about.  I like to remember this party and how the rest of the crowd stood back to let us get on with it.

There are wonderful memories of her, exhibiting in groups together, taking part in the traveling artist book for the Plainsboro Artist Group, loyally encouraging and supporting each other's work.  She has a paper collage in the local Town Hall,  did exciting collages with mulberry paper, when she wasn't painting in watercolor.

We would go into Manhattan to museums, one wonderful day at the Frick where we spent hours studying Old Master drawings, a once in a lifetime collection.  We spent time at her shore house, and went out drawing and painting together.  And went to drawing groups in a nearby town, as long as she had the stamina to be up and about that long.  She was the best fun to be out and about with.

As her health declined, it was more about visiting her at home, as long as she wanted that, and taking her little baked items -- we had cooperative teas, where I brought the baked goods, she had her husband set up the tea.  

She was a great fan of anything lemon, so I always brought extra when I made lemon bars, so as to leave her a couple for the next day.  She had three daughters, all local, each with a family of her own, so there were a lot of grandchildren, but she was a tactful grandparent, only giving me the Cliff notes version of their activities!  I did look at their art, though.

All in all, some lovely memories of a lovely person.  A lot of these were already memories even during her lifetime, as she was less and less able to take part, and we did a lot of reminiscing then.

So glad to have known her, and how lucky to have had her in my life.