Monica Elizabeth Taes
August 20, 1954 to April 16, 1998
She could shoot a rifle better than Dick Cheney, ride her Morgan
horses to win ribbons, raise her kids on her own, and paint like it was
as natural as breathing.
Her first battle with cancer she won, and traveled to Europe to visit relatives to celebrate. Upon her return, she told me that she knew things weren’t right. Another battle ensued, but this one was too great. Unable to deal with the technicalities of her disease, she appointed me as her medical liaison. The news was devastating. A friend of mine who had battled the same disease 3 times prior became someone for her to focus on. When he died, I kept that a secret.
She was genuinely surprised to receive help from strangers. During our last lucid conversation, she told me how she wanted to give back to the community. Monica was the twin I never had. While I have two brothers, it was always Monica who understood and stood by me. My bone marrow was such a close match the doctors were stunned. It was simply filtered and given to her without the use of anti-rejection medications.
Now with Raven House Publishing LLC, I can help her achieve her goal. The painting of the girl with golden locks and the one with the Siamese cat will be produced at original size for a limit of 500 prints with a certificate of authenticity. Of the $500 per piece, a minimum of $300 each will be donated to the Neely House on her behalf..
Monica's Work
click for larger image
Siamese Purchase Now! |
Golden Girl Purchase Now! |
Oven Kitty Purchase Now! |
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Image Notes:
Siamese
Creatures responded to Monica as if she were The Animal Whisperer. It
was Monica who trained our German Shepherd to remove a hat from
someone’s head when they entered the house. She had an ability to
communicate with creatures like James Herriot, only in the US and not in
the fields of Great Britain. Another interest of Monica’s was the Great
Pyramids, so she thought she would combine the two interests into one
painting. She was 15.
Golden Girl
It was a mile to our elementary school, and Monica and I would always do
the walk together. Twice a week, though, she would stop at a private
residence for art lessons. The art instructor was an old lady who could
teach better than she could paint. She wanted Monica to do Golden Girl
in pastels. Monica would come home from her lesson and tell me how she
found the new art form a challenge, but the end result won her top
honors in a citywide contest. She was 16 when she started it and 17 when
she finished Golden Girl.
Oven Kitty
Monica and I were doing our high school homework at the old Formica
kitchen table when Mom started to tackle the job of cleaning the oven.
Before Mom could get started, one of our kittens jumped on the lowered
door. Monica went to get her oils and drew and then painted the kitten
as she had seen it. Monica didn’t need to bring back the kitten to study
its form; she simply painted it from memory. It remains my favorite
painting.