Thinking Allowed: The art of the portrait

We all have memories of our grandparent's homes which stick with us into adulthood as moments of peaceful remembrance. How many times did I sit and eat as my grandfather told us the story of his piano or the leather horse figurine in their glass cabinet. The items were often meaningless, but the stories brought them to life and etched them into our imaginations. These were items infused with gaiety and mishap and meaning to the point where they became part of what we would visit. But what enchanted us the most were the portraits on the wall. One of my grandmother as a young lady and one of my grandmother's grandmother. We would sit and stare because they were beautiful works of art made with equally intricately crafted frames. We would sit and stare because we all loved the story behind the making of the portraits. But even more so we would sit enchanted because that regal woman in the picture with a twinkle in her eye and a look of confidence in the future was our grandmother. The very same person as the slightly stooped wrinkled women before us. To us children this was amazing.

I have always felt like I too would like a portrait like my grandmother had - something for my grandchildren to look up at in awe. When my grandmother passed away this desire became greater. I felt like I had missed my chance of having a portrait such as hers. There would be no dazzling moment of early adulthood pre children and marriage full of confident looks of freedom and mystique. But, nonetheless, there would still be me. It felt a frivolous and conceited move to have my portrait painted. But then again my grandmother was neither of those two things which made the portrait even more inspiring. So I started looking at portrait artists and possibilities. Except my mind kept drifting back to a landscape artist I had met a few years before who inspired me in our brief meeting. Valentyna sees the world as an object of beauty and vibrant energy. She sees the world with an inspiration and enthusiasm that I admire. To see myself through her eyes would be an honor. So I messaged and was fortunate that she agreed to the commission. We strolled through the forest and chatted about Canberra and art and our ancestors. I sat in her home and she regaled me with stories as she painted. It was a beautiful experience. My grandmother would have adored Valentyna and I know she would have been thrilled by the portrait created. Due to covid, my grandmother never got a tribute or proper funeral so this portrait is a little bit of an ode to her and her love of life and art. It is the continuation of a story that will enchant and bring inspiration in our family.