Currently browsing Posts Published December 2011

I was a bit awestruck by a photo my cousin Stephanie posted to her Facebook page, of my grandfather’s hand with my late grandmother’s wedding ring on his pinky. Besides the obvious poignancy, it was the first time I had really paid attention to the innumerable folds in his century-old skin. And I realized it would be a whole lot of fun to draw.

After about an hour of drawing, I looked down at my own hands, and they seemed completely smooth and boring and devoid of character. Crossing my dainty fingers that I can someday wear hands like Tata’s as a badge of a long life well-lived.

This (to the limited extent of my rendering abilities) is the face of my Nana as a beauty queen in the 1930s. And although she died last night at the age of basically 95, genetics dictates that I see a shadow of this face every time I look at my sister, cousins, aunts, and even my girlier uncles. And who knows, maybe it’s because they see a bit of Nana in themselves that they do their best to carry on her ageless exuberance, nurturing manner, and sharp sense of humor. We’ll never quite match up to her, but she gave us something to aim for, and that made us who we are. If you’re reading this and feeling sad, feel lucky instead–and keep aiming.

Is it possible that this is the first time I’ve subjected my sister to a sketch on this site? Does it still count even when the drawing looks like some other lady entirely? Anyway, here she is showing off her cool new haircut.