“Family Portrait”

oil on canvas

36” x 54”

SOLD

While the accumulation of things cannot define a person’s worth, (hard as some try!) there are possessions each of us own that have meaning beyond any monetary value or ability to impress others. These are the things that define the relationships we have or the beliefs we hold.

Special objects become the symbols of a life lived.

In a wider sense, this is what makes realist painting itself so powerful: the meaning we attach to objects. It is why I have chosen still life as a major theme in my own painting.

Why are these “symbols” important?

Because they represent the physical manifestations of memory. Memory sustains and enriches our present experience. It is memory that gives any life meaning. A cherished object can open and explore this treasure chest of memories anytime we need, in good times or bad.  They are life’s “bookmarks” leading us back to that special place or experience or person. Anyone left standing helpless on the shore as a loved one is  set adrift on the dark sea of Alzheimer's Disease knows the devastation that the loss of these once joyous connections can bring.

So save and honor and celebrate your own special connections! My own family graciously provided me with all their special things for this very special painting called “The Family Portrait”.