I am SOOO excited to be sharing a very talented lady with you today. She is a bereaved mother who is using her experience in such a powerful and healing way. I hope you enjoy her artwork (and ahem… GIVEAWAY!) as much as I do ;)
I am so honored to be guest posting here today. My name is Renee, and I want to share with you a bit about myself and my art.
I knew since I was a tiny child that I wanted to be an artist. When I considered doing anything else in life it just didn’t feel right. For a while I taught art. After that I worked from home, gave art lessons, and tried different types of art but always struggled to find clear direction for it. Then I became a Mom to my oldest daughter. When she was about 16 months old I became pregnant with my second child. Up until this point my life overall had been pretty easy.
But suddenly that changed. At the 18 week ultrasound we were told our baby could not survive after birth. The ultrasound showed no amniotic fluid surrounding the baby, and they said she had no kidneys or bladder. I was surprised when they told me that most likely the pregnancy would continue normally because my body would provide all that she needed until her birth. Later I found out that one name for this is “Potter’s Syndrome”. When I heard this term, it reminded me of the Bible verse that says: “We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Although she was missing these vital organs, I believed that God had a plan for her. The doctors expected us to end the pregnancy, but I just never felt in my heart that I could do that. Throughout the pregnancy we prayed for a miracle. We really believed she would be healed. But when she was born, so sweet and perfect, she lived only a few minutes.
While I was pregnant I started a painting for her. After she died I finished it. It was a combination of colors, words, and two images that reminded me of her: a butterfly and a rose. I displayed it at her memorial, and hung it on our wall. As I looked at it, I realized this was something I could do in her honor: create paintings in memory of other babies who were on this earth only a short time.
So now that is why I paint. I paint remembrance paintings based on information people share with me about their babies and the way they want to remember them. They are much like the Abiding Hope Collages, except I use watercolor, ink, acrylic, images, canvas, pens, etc. Each painting is unique to the baby it is created for. I paint for those who have experienced miscarriage, still birth, or infant loss. My hope is that each painting will be a tangible reminder of who each baby is, and that we will see them again. I want each painting to be a comfort to those who are missing their children, and a statement that their short lives do indeed matter: to us, to God, and in so many other ways we cannot know in this life.
Here is one that I made recently for twins Kai and Mason:
You can see more of my paintings, including the one I did for my daughter Anna, on my website or blog.
I would love to give one of my paintings away to one of you. You could enter this for yourself, or for a friend or family member who has lost a baby.
There are several ways you can enter this giveaway:
**you must be a follower of Small Bird Studios to enter
- like Rosebud Art by Renee Lange on Facebook
- follow Renee’s blog
- visit Renee’s website
- share this blog post via Facebook, twitter, pinterest, blog etc :)
Thank you, Franchesca, for the opportunity to share my story and my art here, and thank you to all of you who enter this giveaway. I look forward to creating a painting for one of you.
***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***
I am happy to like you on Facebook and I shared this. Thank you for sharing and for what you do for BLM’s.
I like Rosebud Art on FB
Following Renee’s blog also
I follow your blog as nightowl.
I like Rosebud Art by Renee Lange on Facebook.
How beautiful! I started following Renee’s blog and visited her website (super inspiring). Also liked her on Facebook. Thank you for sharing!
I like small bird already and just liked Renee on FB
I’m following renees blog
Mandy Hansen recently posted..Had my first RE Appointment today!!!!
I just shared this blog post
Mandy Hansen recently posted..Had my first RE Appointment today!!!!
Amazing paintings! I like SBS on FB.
I like Rosebud Art by Renee Lange on Facebook
Thank-you for sharing this beautiful art! I liked Rosebud Art on Facebook.
Following Renee’s Blog now! :-) Thank you for sharing your beautiful art with this community.
Stefanie recently posted..The door
Visited Renee’s Website. What wonderful paintings!
Stefanie recently posted..The door
Thanks for sharing!! I love the paintings!! I’d love to win one! I liked her on facebook and checked out her blog. Inspiring stuff.
So beautiful. I tweeted this (https://twitter.com/#!/betherann/status/187548279620370432).
Beth recently posted..Mixed Up
I subscribed to Renee’s blog.
Beth recently posted..Seeing Gratitude When Life is Hard
I liked Rosebud Art on FB.
Beth recently posted..Seeing Gratitude When Life is Hard
I visited Renee’s website…what a gift she gives to other babylost parents with those amazing paintings!
Beth recently posted..Seeing Gratitude When Life is Hard
I like Rosebud Art on Facebook
I follow Roseburd Art’s blog by email
I tweeted about this post here: https://twitter.com/#!/BagatelleDesign/status/187554033693757441
@BagatelleDesign
I follow via Bloglovin :)
Liked on FB :)
Followed Renee’s blog :)
I follow Small Bird Studios.
wow, beautiful and meaningful work!
I like Rosebud Art on Facebook.
Morgan recently posted..It’s okay to feel okay
I’m a new follower to her blog!
Morgan recently posted..It’s okay to feel okay
I checked out Renee’s website. I especially liked looking at the paintings she’s done. I really want to win this giveaway, but if I don’t one of these is definitely going on my wish list!
Morgan recently posted..It’s okay to feel okay
Oh wow, her work is beautiful! love!! I would love to have one of these painted in honor of my Bella – who may have also been a Potter’s baby (one kidney/no bladder/declining fluid) but we never got the specific Potter’s diagnosis. xo. (I already follow you Fran on SBS)
Beryl Young recently posted..Coffee Date∣March Edition
I like Rosebud Art on FB
Beryl Young recently posted..Coffee Date∣March Edition
So beautiful this painting….what a story….
Meg recently posted..First pair of shoes
I did all of the things! Your work is beautiful! New to the blogging world, but I am glad to read about other women who are traveling through this grief. It helps.
Mariah recently posted..Two months…
Beautiful work for beautiful memories. Thank you for sharing your story and your art.
I follow your blog via Bloglovin’- I loved the sharing of this story.
Sue @ Hello. Also, I love you. recently posted..10 Day You {8} + a Random Story About Japan
I like Rosebud Art on Facebook
I follow Renee’s blog via Bloglovin’
I visited Renee’s website, the sample paintings are beautiful!
Sue @ Hello. Also, I love you. recently posted..10 Day You {8} + a Random Story About Japan
Beautiful! Such a sweet and creative way to remember our babies :)
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Liked Renee’s FB page
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Shared This post on FB.
Stefanie recently posted..Her kind soul strikes again
Shared via Pintrest
Stefanie recently posted..Her kind soul strikes again
Renee I am so sorry for Baby Anna… a year ago 5 days before her due date I gave birth to my beautiful and perfect second daughter Sofia. At 14 weeks scan we discovered she had CDH, a birth defect that happens when the diaphragm does not fully form. Your story is so similar to mine and these struggling days I feel so bad to know some other families had to go through this path made of courage, love and hope. Sofia survived 2 days, had a surgery and her diaphragm rapaired. She was less severe than we thought but it occured she had a pneumothorax and left us with our hearts filled of love and our eyes filled of tears! I miss my little one so much. As your baby Anna she was so perfect and beautiful and we believed in a miracle. Your art is breathtaking and so amazing. You sure are a talented Mamma. Thanks for reading my story. Sharing our stories and our grief I learned is the only way to make this pain less hard on us. I send you a big strong hug and special kisses to the wind for Anna! Much love from Italy, Sofia’s Mom.
I am Kai and Mason’s mama (from Renee’s painting). This was such an amazing piece of love and art to receive! Renee is amazing. I also wanted to share an amazing organization that offers photography for grieving parents: Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep: http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org
Photographers donate their time to capture the only images we may ever have of our beloveds.
I liked on FB. Her work is gorgeous!
Kristine recently posted..Saving Babies…