Le Moment de Jouer (Time to Play) honors my Aunt Vicki, one of the most important people in my life. She taught elementary school for forty-three years and inspired my love of working with children. I always wanted children to feel as special around me as I did around Aunt Vicki.
When her nieces and nephews were in her company, it was obvious she cared about us. She always asked questions and sat with us at the kids’ table instead of with adults at family meals. She took us to play in the park on the merry-go-round or to fly kites, and would let us give her driving directions in her Fiat convertible (even if it meant driving around the neighborhood randomly). Aunt Vicki also gave me buckets of water and house painting brushes to “paint the sidewalk” on hot days. When the water dried, she’d tell me to give it another coat. Cheerfully, I got to work, shocked that she let me paint so much and that my skills were so valued and requested. Her quirky sense of humor and ability to ignite the spirit of play in others is why I gave the painting its title, translates to “Time to Play.”
I made Le Moment de Jouer for Aunt Vicki as a surprise Christmas present in 2019. The memory of that surprise installation with my family will forever make my heart smile. How shocked and thrilled she was! As we drove away we could see her through the window, still looking at the painting.
The whimsy of the carousel really is a perfect symbol of taking the time to play. The red coat reminds me of my grandmother, Aunt Vicki’s mother, who passed away in 2019. She loved red coats and had such a sense for fashion. The friend of the girl in the red coat reminds me of my dear childhood friend Erika, who accompanied me to take the photos in Paris I used in reference for this composition. Like Aunt Vicki, she has been a cheerleader for me since elementary school. I hope everyone makes the time to be or have such a friend.
The carousel will also always remind me of dear friends who were with me at the Eiffel Tower for my first visit there on my twenty-fourth birthday: Clare, Amy, and Barbie. They are all teachers and also among my most enthusiastic supporters. My best friend from high school, Darci, yet another teacher, went with me on my second trip to Paris. Our adventure of course included a carousel ride. She probably has more of my art in her home than anyone on the planet, due to her tendency to rescue projects I attempted to throw away in younger years. She valued every bit of my energy expressed in paint and celebrated what I overlooked.
Towards the final strokes of painting this, I could hear the sounds of the carousel. This often happens when I paint—when a work is almost done, I hear memories. I heard both the music and the sounds of laughter. I suppose I’m drawn to teachers like Aunt Vicki because they have the ability to see the best in others and encourage those parts to shine. They also know that we learn through play. When we take the time to play, we embrace right now, which is all we really have.
The message written on the back of the original painting in dedication to Aunt Vicki reads, “for inspiring the spirit of joy in others.”
Brooke Harker
