In which Tita Recometa-Brady discovers a deep connection to the man who brought Picasso’s vision to life.
TITA: Now, here’s the beauty of the story, Myra, and here’s the most unusual, amazing synchronicity in any given life of any person – 50 YEARS LATER, RYCHALSKI AND TITA BRADY WOULD MEET –
MYRA: WHAT?
TITA: And become friends! But he died two years ago.
MYRA: Oh, sorry to hear that.
TITA: One afternoon, the widow, Mrs. Rychalski asked me to sit down with them, and at the end of that meeting – Mrs. Rychalski gave me the blueprints for the sculpture of Pablo Picasso.
MYRA: WHAT? WOW!
TITA: That’s the wow part! I said to myself ‘Whoops! What just happened?’
MYRA: I guess your friendship meant a lot to him.
TITA: Well, they didn’t have any children, but she had a brother, and the brother had children, but Mrs. Rychalski told me it was Anatol’s wish – an artist’s wish – that all these things about Picasso be given to me.
MYRA: Un-real, it’s like Picasso’s invisible hand brought you two together! That’s a GREAT story!
TITA: It’s one of the greatest stories I have in my life! By the way, can you read this? [shows me her phone screen]
MYRA: Um… the words are too small to read. But what do they say?
TITA: That’s the backwards writing that I put in my painting in More than Lumpia. It’s by Michelangelo and it says:
“Refuse to allow yourself to have low expectations about what you are capable of creating. The greater danger is not that your hopes are too high, and you fail to reach them; it is that they are too low, and you do.” Michelangelo Buonarroti
MYRA: Oh, that’s beautiful! Sounds like something the Alchemist in Paolo Coelho’s book would say. Do you know that book?
TITA: No, that quote is from Michelangelo. And he gave me permission to copy it [both laugh] I said to him: “Hey, Miki, can I borrow your famous quote?” And he said, “Of course, you can!”
MYRA: Like in a dream!
TITA: EXACTLY! A really nice dream!
*TITA RECOMETA-BRADY is a Filipino American artist, born and raised in the Philippines, where she earned a BFA at the University of Sto. Tomas, Manila. During her college years, she won several fine arts awards, including the prestigious Fulbright-Hays Award (1966-1968) which paved the way for her to study at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago where she later earned an MFA. Learn more about Tita Brady by going to her website.
Myra Kalaw is a poet and a book & paper artist. She is a member of the local SINAG artists group, and the local community theater, CIRCA Pintig. When not actively collecting oral histories, Myra can be found deep in the inter webs of cubivino.net
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