Collaboration

During an editorial meeting for ESRA magazine, the search for an illustrator was discussed. I thought of my daughter Cookie Moon who illustrates for the New York Times, New Yorker, British Airways etc. (Naches is exuding every pore as I write this – forgive my showing off.) I asked Cookie if she has the time. She readily agreed to illustrate my meager offerings on the subject of city girl moves to the country, and so our collaboration was born. When we saw my prose and her visual alongside each other on the glossy page, we were both excited by the togetherness. Since that first publication, our partnership has developed into Cookie illustrating vignettes and short stories that I wrote over the past decade; a selection we hope to publish; working title - memories.

Seeing Sally and Talia Bar's invitation to the opening of their art exhibition called Moments, a collaboration of mother and daughter's art work caught my eye. (Moments and Memories, two single M words used to sum up our familial partnerships.)

In my case Cookie, 27 years old, wants to heave me up on her wings now she is flying high, and share her limelight. That generous sentiment in itself fills me with joy, let alone the actual working together.

The highlight for Sally has been to experience the process of combining her and Talia's differing artistic skills; Sally's abstract collages and Talia's realism and portraiture – and seeing the successful outcome on the canvas. Old photographs have been the source of reference, embellishing moments in family life. It's as if Sally, in her maternal role, is the backdrop that supports Talia's art, alleviating the daunting task of facing a blank page, thus allowing Talia to expand her vision.

Much trust must be involved. Both respecting each other's talent - they are thrilled to be working together. This seemed a bit too good to be true, I mean we all know how fraught mother and daughter relationships can be. I wanted to know how Sally felt having Talia paint on top of her work - if it was the other way round, how would Talia feel – but they were both delighted to host the other on the canvas.

Considering your child's work as brilliant is a Jewish syndrome – but it seems in both all these cases, the children feel just the same about us mums.

Sally and Talia who live far apart, Talia in Chile with her husband and baby, and Sally here in Zichron, will be meeting up at the end of the year in New York for Sally's exhibit at the Artifact Gallery in Orchard Street. She is hoping her one-person show will include collaborative works; one being the picture you see here on the page; on a background of Sally's abstracts swirled with Hebrew letters, Talia has painted a scene resembling a fuchsia version of Manet's Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe. At second glance we are transported to a family get together in South Africa from Talia's childhood.

Cookie and I are less intertwined in our work- rather we complement each other. But for both Sally and for me we are both experiencing engaging with our child in a professional arena, allowing the next generation to take us onwards and upwards. In my case, to be relevant in a new world that has left me behind.