Sadie's White Apron

"Sadie's White Apron"
12" x 24" Pastel on Primed Panel
December 2008

This is a strange one. I gave up on it once and still keep it around thinking that some day I might make the face look more like my great-grandmother's. This is my attempt to capture a piece of information about her in hopes of knowing her better. The reference was an old photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy... You know the type, from one of the first machines made. In other words, the image was almost unreadable. The picture showed a farm house and barn with three men sitting in the front lawn. One of the men, my great-grandfather was holding a baby of about 6 month's age. The baby was my grandmother who was born in 1905. Behind the figures on the lawn was this image of my great-grandmother as though walking toward them. She may have been hovering over Martha, her first child. I loved her long white (probably muslin) apron. It drew me into the family scene and allowed me to imagine what their lives may have been like at that time. Unfortunately, I was not able to get the face drawn or colored well. The lady in this chalk painting doesn't look like Sadie. It still evokes a fondness in my heart that makes the painting worth holding on to for awhile. Maybe some day I will fix it.