Jug

Riga

1907

My Great-Grandmother Julija with her 3 brothers, mother and father, Riga 1907.

1931

My Grandmother in her confirmation photograph - they knew how to take a picture back then. This was in Riga in Latvija.

Felt vessels

These vessels are made from a flat piece of felt which has been cut into a circle and then gathered with running stitches. They were a present for my sister, she has used a glass inside to hold the flowers. They were photographed on her balcony. My sister always has lots of flowers inside and outside. This is another Latvijan tradition - to have fresh cut flowers in the home and to always give flowers when you visit friends.

Natalija Lovett-Turner

Natalija Tile wearing her Latvijan national costume c1930s

Portrait of a Latvijan girl 1990 Gouache and poster paint on canvas board 10x12 inches.

Natalija was my maternal Grandmother. She was born on this day in 1915. She died in 1990. This was one of her last paintings. She painted all her life and was also a prolific photographer, cross stitch artist and knitter. She asked me to wear her national costume so that she could take photographs in colour as she only had b/w pictures. This painting is from one of those photographs.