10 Year Anniversary: The Painting Diary 15 of 30

Painting Diary 15 of 30: Oma, 2015

What portfolio is complete without a portrait of Grandma? Originally she had a face too, just as that portrait of my mom had a face. I painted this from an old black and white wedding photo and the stoic look on Grandma’s face was striking and revealed her essence while also seeming to tell her whole story. I wanted to capture that look in a painting. I struggled for a long time painting and repainting the face but couldn’t capture the subtlety of her look. Finally I decided that it was not worth saving and opted instead for the faceless cosmic Grandmother of no specific time or place.

This painting feels weird to me now because why is the subject a bride? That’s a strong symbol and I’m not sure what it means to me anymore now that it’s not really my Grandma. I like where the painting ended up I guess but I’m a little disappointed I wasn’t able to capture her super subtle look, the slight smile that was mostly shining in her eyes, her confidence and general badassness. She was a very humble and peaceful warrior. Maybe I’ll try to paint that photo again someday…