Recollection, watercolor portrait, 21 x 17"
This is the 3rd painting in the series, "Telling Stories", paintings and stories of the elderly. Mary is a reserved, shy woman of 92. She has beautiful blue eyes that brighten when she smiles. It's obvious by our conversations that her family is her biggest source of joy and pride. Each time we talked about her children or grandchildren, she was at her most animated. She smiled and laughed and could remember vivid details about each. Other memories were more vague and she seemed less interested, like those of her childhood or her years working at an insurance agency.
Mary wasn't so comfortable having her image drawn or painted and, admittedly, my first attempt to draw her wasn't very flattering. I think this painting is a better representation of her gentle, reflective nature.
