Artists Karen E. Griffin (left) with her daughter Ashley M. Griffin (photo by SS Photography)
Whenever I gather with my cousins, we are quick to brag about what we have inherited from our late grandmother, Nana. Some of us inherited her artistic flair for growing and cooking homegrown vegetables, landscaping or gardening, while others, like me and my youngest sister, learned to knit and crochet. All the boys learned to sew buttons and repair their clothes, while others learned to paint, draw, or even think outside the box about life and love.
My own children, now in their 20s, often reflect on how different their lives were from their peers. Once my son told me, “Mom, even though I am not an artist, I know that growing up with an artist mom has helped me to think outside perceived possibilities,” and his professors agreed. My daughter has taken a liking to cooking everything from scratch and has a flair for fashion and eccentricity. My children did not have a choice; raised by a divorced mother, they were always a part of my artistic life and went along the journey with me. It rubbed off through proximity and shows up in their lives in unique ways.
I wanted to know about other children of artists and how their lives have been impacted by having an artist mother. Recently, I spoke with Ashley M. Griffin, 30, the daughter of Karen E. Griffin, fiber artist and Englewood Arts Artist-In-Residence, visual and performing artist and Certified National and International Storyteller. Ashley shared that her mother’s approval and sparkle when she was artistic heavily influenced her. “She created a childhood where pursuing our passions was prioritized over a strict career path structure. This upbringing, instilled by my mother, enabled my own artistic abilities.”
Growing up, Karen endlessly helped her daughters with “school projects, arts and crafts, and signed us up for artsy volunteer activities,” Ashley said. “Introduced to art at age six, I would often create, construct, and draw independently, showing her my finished pieces without seeking prior approval. Her eyes and face would light up as she would give praises for what I had created.”
As a professional makeup artist, Ashley uses “the principles of blending, color theory, and other artistic elements (to) form the foundation of my work.” She has been able to combine art and business just as her mother has. As an artist’s child it wasn’t always easy — Ashley shares that while creativity was abundant, resources weren’t always. “I struggled, we struggled. At that time, I realized balancing artistic expression with the demands of life proved to be difficult.” Yet, in real time, the challenges have not outweighed the benefits. “I’m able to contribute to my mother’s business and life, offering the structure and strategies that were sometimes lacking in my youth. It’s a reciprocal exchange — she poured into me, and now I’m pouring back into her.”
Karen Griffin’s elder daughter, Adrienne D. Griffin, 33, is a poet. “Mom was very free spirited when it came to art,” she said. “She never was focused on one type of art. She had an eye for everything. That meant we were always taught a new skill. Compared to my friends who spent Saturdays lounging, my sister and I were at art classes learning and expanding our talents.”
Even with the challenges, Adrienne has no regrets, “. . . being the child of an artist is just amazing. You explore so much together, and you are always learning and developing something new. And it’s just rewarding when you can do that together as well.”
I also spoke with Molly McGlynn, the 23-year-old daughter of Nicole Emanuel, artist and founder of the InterUrban ArtHouse. In comparison to her friends’ mothers, McGlynn said, “Of course there are challenges to being the child of an artist.” What was the height of her mother’s legacy as an artist proved to be challenging for her as a daughter. “Art is not a highly funded career, especially if you take a community art approach. My mom didn’t just make art, it was more important to her to create community and opportunities for people to make art together and find community through art. She spent most of my late childhood founding InterUrban ArtHouse, so she was often busy and stressed out because it was hard work!”
Making a living as an artist is not for the faint-hearted, and adding womanhood, motherhood, divorce and single mothering can compound the challenge. Yet we find, historically and today, women are resilient, pass on their gifts to the next generation and just keep creating!
Explore Ashley M. Griffin’s work as a makeup artist at www.makeupmyriee.com. See Molly McGlynn’s work at Instagram: @mr.mcglynn; Parade of Hearts: theparadeofhearts.com/hearts/the-heart-of-the-forest/ and KCI Airport: www.itraicons.com/kci.
