Art Touches the Heart When Made Together
The Wicked Windows of Westfield art design done by Hannah and Stacy Plummer
By Hannah Plummer
Art is a special thing. Creating something from your own imagination and the inspiration it takes to create it feels amazing. However, at least in my experience, art means so much more when you share it with someone, when you make it with someone else; someone that is dear, and close to your heart.
Enter my mother.
My mom has always encouraged me when it comes to creativity and art. She’s big into art herself, and has been for most of her life. I’ve always looked up to her in that sense. She calls herself an artist, not necessarily professional, but an artist nonetheless. She is someone who loves art, and loves creating for the world around her and sharing it. She loves creating and sharing with me.
It’s honestly been such an honor being able to work with her, to take part in a lot of her bigger projects. She may say it’s been an honor working with me. But either way, we both know that whatever we painted together will always be a million times better, more beautiful, and more special because it’s something we did together.
Because art is normally viewed as a more solitary thing, and a thing I mostly do by myself, I always jump on the track when my mom offers to paint with me, or wants my help with a bigger project she needs to work on. I found that the ones I’ve enjoyed the most are the ones where we’re right next to each other, listening to the Encanto soundtrack on repeat. We work everywhere together, from sitting on the ground in our garage, to painting outside of Boxwood Coffee Roasters in Westfield. Wherever we are, I know it’s always going to be a good time, because we have each other.
While the payoff of seeing our work is always amazing, seeing it in town, hung up on the Rialto, or seeing children point and adults smile at our Wicked Windows, the memories are always the best part. Even in the moments of tiredness when painting a giant typewriter and its colorful keys, or frozen fingers from the cold of December, through the frustration and exhaustion of it all, we always manage to have fun.
And I think that’s how art should be. In any other sense, if either of us were making something enormous that was supposed to be displayed somewhere, I don’t think either of us would enjoy it half as much if we were alone. It’s the fact that we’re together that makes it all the more special, and they are all memories that I will cherish forever.