Norma Hodges Vollmar
Piedmont, California
1901 – 1976
I enjoy displaying art of a personal nature in my home created by family and friends. Seeing these images that adorn our walls is a calming reminder of family connections from past generations. This California ocean shoreline painting was created in 1945 by my paternal grandmother, Norma Hodges Vollmar. This painting used to hang in her living room in her Piedmont home, and I remember seeing it as a young child of 6 and 7 during our family visits. Today, it’s displayed in our bedroom so we can see it on a daily basis.
During her life, my grandmother was an avid painter, crafter, gardener, entertainer and community member. A member of the Hillside Gardeners of Montclair beginning in the late 40’s, she and her sister, Henrietta Hodges-McComber were instrumental in designing elaborate garden shows in the Oakland-Piedmont area. Incidentally, as told by my family, some of the whimsical buildings and sets at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland were designed and created by the her garden club for some of their shows and then donated to the children’s theme park on the shores of Lake Merritt in Oakland.
