This portrait meant a lot to my family as the subject 'Etta', is my Great Grandmother, a descendant of William Bradford, passenger of the historic Mayflower, and Governor of Plymouth Plantation. Only few photos of Etta exist in our family's possession. In creating this portrait I had to use a very old and damaged sepia tone wallet 1 x 2 " size photograph as my main point of reference. From my memories I drew upon characteristics such as her incredible 'light blue eyes' and related them to others who share this trait in my family. When the portrait was complete, I gathered many of my closest relatives, most significantly my Mother and Grandmother to unveil what was to be a most powerful and meaningful body of work. Within a few moments my Mother and Grandmother began to openly weep. Instantly this was to be a defining moment in my art career. A rare moment in life when one can witness and experience the great impact a posthumous portrait can extrude from those who lovingly shared life and breath with their ancestors...
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