ORIGINAL ARTWORK DETAILS --
Year: 1991
Dimensions: 24”
x 36”
Medium/Media: Oil
on canvas
Artist: Cozetta Gray Guinn
Description: No doubt there are moments when all
of us have observed a scene where
we have wanted to preserve the moment.
This image is a reflection of
such an event. One summer morning,
I was visiting in my sister’s home
when my brother, who lives in the
same city and whose wife was away
at work, called and asked me to come
to his home and stay with his granddaughter
while he attended an important
meeting.
This small three year old child, who shares my name, was spending the summer with her grandparents.
I agreed to take care of my grand-niece and remarked that I was pleased to be in charge.
Perhaps capitalizing on the attention given to her, this little girl dressed in blue shorts, white
blouse, high-top white shoes, white socks, and bows on her braids, let me know very quickly that
she was someone special to her grandparents to the exclusion of others.
When my brother left the room she told me, "You’re not the boss of me. This is not your house. It
belongs to my grand mamma and my granddaddy and you can’t be in charge." She further implied
that the same was true for her own person. She gave me a verbal list of things that she was not
interested in doing. There was one thing in particular that I noted. She told me, "Tía wants me to
learn to speak Spanish, but I’m not {going to do so}." Her aunt ("tía" in Spanish) had given her
some Spanish music audio tapes to enjoy during the summer. And little Cozetta had learned the
songs and was singing them, unaware of their origin.
After being inside the house for a while, I decided to take her outside where she could play under
the big tree in the yard. Meanwhile, I walked in the vegetable garden. At some point she decided
to pick and pull flowers from the planter box next to the house. When I saw what she had done I
said, "Cozetta, why did you do that?" She replied, "It’s okay. They’re My Grand Mamma’s flowers." |