My sister Jean recently scanned more old family photos, which were all charming and fun. But one photo of my mother as a young woman popped out instantly as a painting waiting to happen.

I’ve been thinking about all the reasons this was the photo I wanted to work from:

* She’s holding a cat!
* Those sox!
* Her flirty, fun personality shining through!

Then something else hit me. I remembered how Mother came home from a visit to Washington D.C. with a print of a classic painting that she has selected as a slightly titillating gift for my Dad. And I realized the photo of Mother as a young woman has something in common with Goya’s Clothed Maja:

Mother also told us that there was an “unclothed” version of the same painting…but she decided not to bring that one home. Here it is for my art-loving friends:

I’m looking forward to getting started on this painting. I’m thinking this image of my Mom deserves to be a large-scale work.