Sweetness of Memory  was developed as Attleboro’s 2025 Community Read brand image using pen and ink with watercolor. This original illustration will be on view during Frost Bite: Memories Masquerading as Frozen Treats (Sept 6^th – 20^th, 2025) at the Attleboro Arts Museum and details of the artwork appear in the Community Read’s promotional materials.

Jack fruit, apples, figs, grapes, blackberries, strawberries and cherry tomatoes are represented in this drawing, based loosely off the illustrations shown in “Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees” by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, the 2025 chosen text.

I have many fond memories connected to food, both as an adult and as a child, so it felt appropriate that I insert my three-year-old self into this rendering.  This portrait represents a moment, that happened to be captured in a photograph (see 1987 snapshot below) of me enjoying a popular summer treat… a home-grown cherry tomato.  I can still remember the sweet, warm burst of this delightful fruit when it had ripened just enough for me to pluck and eat. An end of day ritual during my childhood summers was spending time with my mom and brother tending the plants in our home garden – watering, weeding and nourishing.  When it was time to enjoy the fruits of our efforts, those experiences of taste and family bonds solidified in my mind, I carry them with me as my palette grows and expands in life.