Vino Locale presents new paintings by local artist Judy Gittelsohn from her series titled A FEW VOWELS; O, U and E an ode to Emily. These paintings are an Ode to my cousin, Emily Georges Gottfried who passed away suddenly this January from a rare blood disease. Oh, You, Emily.
Join me for a reception
August 8, 2013
Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
6 - 8 pm
431 Kipling St. Palo Alto
Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Surprise performance at 7pm
Emily lived life large; a song leader, a cantor and a community builder. 1200 people attended her funeral. Many different faiths were represented. Most were in conversations due to Emily. She made an impact.
Emily and I grew up together. As adults we grew to look alike. In December 2012 I had a nodule and half my thyroid removed. I lost my voice after my surgery. Emily began her rapid descent days after my surgery. As far as her family knew she had been well, just days earlier she hosted a party and went skiing. I wanted to go visit her in Oregon after I healed from the surgery, but got a cold and because Emily had so little immune system, I had to wait until I was well. I made it to Oregon on the 24th of January and Emily had lost consciousness. Her husband, daughters, sister, brother and more extended family had been on hand to be with her. She passed away on January 27th. It was shocking.
Emily was always a song leader. We spent summers as teens singing in the dunes of Cannon Beach, Oregon. Thinking about Emily singing and my voice changing, birthed this series of paintings considering the beginnings of speech and the importance of vowels. Depicting each vowel with the depth of a narrative aroused my memory of Emily and allowed me to recall places, moments and feelings. Using paint, I built letters that tell these stories.
