Judy Lanka
(submitted by her sister, Arlene Collins)
Title: Rock on Tiger Kitty
Rock On, Tiger Kitty!! Two Midwest farm-raised sisters never knew days without a barn cat to keep the mice population in tow; as we went our separate ways, raising our own families, our kids were blessed every season with at least one batch of kittens under the porch step, maybe four batches!! So it came to pass when both our kid-flocks were nearly grown, my own family finding a very hard transitional move across state lines from beautiful South Dakota back to our roots, nearer my sister in the Sandhills of Nebraska, and we had to say goodbye to a beloved Tiger cat, not only losing him unceremoniously, but we discovered ourselves in a position where we could no longer look for his replacement. Saying Goodbye to so many things at once, our friends, our beloved vistas, the pinecones…precious Black Hills,…. …Tiger Kitty…. Could we bear any more disappointments? The last week before packing belongings into the moving truck, down near the mountain stream I noticed the perfect cat-sized rock, nice and smooth, perhaps sitting there in the stream years upon years. No, certainly in preparation for a major move, one need not add one more thing to the list for packing, certainly not a non-descript rock, of all things!! Yet I stopped for another moment. Could it…. Could she and would she see what I believed I could see? I delivered the rock to my sweet artist sister, ten years older than me, well in to her ‘wisdom’ years of counting the cost of taking time for trivial things….would she? I presented to her my request, “ Judy, could you paint me a Kitty-Rock, make him look like “Tiger” as best you can,…we can’t have a kitty where we are going.” It is hard enough for kids to tell friends goodbye, to not come home to a beloved pet is harder still. Well…..glory be! She did not say NO. She seemed pretty apprehensive, but I gave her plenty of time and some pictures to go by! A few months later at our family get-together, what did I find in a cozy box in my car’s back seat! TIGER KITTY!! Kitty has moved with our family 4 more times through the years, my sister hardly remembers that she painted him for me, though I tell her again and again. Also, I have let her kids know that I am happy custodian of this painted treasure, made so life-like by their mom. Our opportunities to create, to paint, to write….these ‘tools’ sometimes get a bit rusty from lack of use. Two years ago she and I were invited to a ceramic painting project, just for the fun of it. Judy protested,..”Oh, I can’t paint any more.” But you know, once she picked up a brush and made a decision of which color to use, …she amazed us all as her brush whirred away. Hopefully I will follow her style, when it comes my turn to pick up a brush for someone, though I don’t think I can do “the thing” any longer, may I like Judy, get my wits about myself and give it a try.
Rock on Tiger Kitty: an Interview with Artist Judy Lanka
September 12, 2024
On a Saturday afternoon, Judy Lanka sits with her sister Arlene Collins, facing each other in adjacent seats as Arlene holds up the phone so they can both listen and contribute to the conversation. Tiger Kitty – a large oblong stone painted to mimic a realistic orange, striped cat – sits next to them on a three-legged stool, as if to inspire their recollections and as the honored focus of the conversation. Tiger Kitty seems to repose gently on a bed of green fabric, content to listen in.
In April of 2024, Arlene submitted images and a description of the painted rock under the title of “Rock on Tiger Kitty,” to the Untold Stories of Aging 2024 Art Competition, including photos of Tiger Kitty from various angles and describing the love between sisters that inspired its creation. When asked why she painted the realistic cat, Judy simply says, “Because Arlene asked me to” – as simple as that.
As Tiger Kitty’s description reveals, the rock was painted in 1986, as Arlene and her children were gearing up for a move to another state, unfortunately having to leave behind a beloved family cat in the process. Inspired to keep the memory of Tiger Kitty alive and well within the minds of her children, Arlene asked her sister, an untrained but talented artist, to paint the likeness of the cat onto the perfectly cat-shaped stone.
When asked about Tiger Kitty’s future, the sisters, aged 90 (Judy) and 79 (Arlene), state that the cat will be passed down within their family, perhaps even featuring in Arlene’s will. The art piece has already become a beloved family story. They recall fondly when Tiger Kitty used to sit at the family’s fireplace and was realistic enough to earn a hiss from a living family cat. The piece inspires joy within the close-knit family, with its most recent recognition as an award winner in the art competition being circulated through Judy and her husband Clarence’s four children and their grandchildren and along with the rest of the extended family through shared texting threads, emails, and videos.
Creative energy runs within the family, including Judy and Arlene’s grandmother, Serena, whose paintings are still passed around at family reunions. Their sister, Their sister, Marian enjoyed leather tooling and Marian’s daughter, Vanessa, makes beautiful ceramics and quilts, according to the sisters who are proud of their family’s gifts. Judy, herself remains incredibly humble regarding her own talents, hesitant to even be called an “artist” as she has never attached the title to herself. When asked how she developed her skill in painting, she states, “I just did it. Just picked up a brush.” Arlene and Judy’s daughter, Dawn, who chimes in from across the room, are more willing to sing her praises, noting their amazement at Judy’s skill during a recent ceramic painting class they attended.
Although Judy may not call herself or wish to be remembered as an artist, she will certainly be remembered as a loving mother, grandmother, sister, and rancher’s wife. She describes her and her husband’s hoped for legacy as one of forgiveness, support, and an unfailing dedication to their faith. Over the past 20 years, these traditions have been passed down through family reunions and an annual “no boys allowed” trip. Hosted by Dawn at the family lake house, the trip includes women and girls from every generation of the family, who travel from homes in at least three different states, to find joy, comfort, wisdom, intentional reflection and growth, and likely a lot of laughter, in one another’s company.
The sisters are quick to acknowledge the blessing that is their supportive, loving family. It is easy to see how the two sisters have inspired future generations in fostering and keeping that blessing and its legacy alive, as it surely will be for many years to come. When asked what it means to them to share Tiger Kitty and small piece of their family story with others, Judy says, “It’s thrilling to know that something we are doing in such a common and ordinary way is impressive to anybody. I wish everybody had a family like ours.”
As I leave my interview with the three women, I find myself feeling blessed as well, to witness what may seem mundane, but really holds the key to life’s big questions around meaning-making as we age. For it is in the “common and ordinary things” that this family has come to find such unfailing strength, joy, and wisdom to guide and anchor their shared and individual lives. In sharing her own wisdom, hard-earned over 72 years of marriage and 90 years of life, Judy recommends to others that they “be quick to forgive, say sorry when you need to, and admit when you’re wrong” – sage advice from a worthy source.
