Here’s to Dad

My boyfriend’s dad has been diagnosed with a brain tumour.  It’s very sad.  This is why I was not really been active with painting and blogging lately.  He’s nearly in his mid-80s and used to be so physically active and astute.  Played tennis and even up to a year ago was skiing!  You never know what life brings, and it’s a real shock to us all.  He’s been in hospital and misses his family.  So I thought it would be sweet to paint something for him to cheer him up a bit.  I know it’s not going to cure his illness but it’s something to remind him that we care and are thinking of him.

Image Transfer

When he is in the hospital, he goes on his iPad and tries to communicate with his family, most particularly his wife with whom he has been married for almost 60 years.  I then drew a little sketch of his dad on a rough piece of paper and transferred the image on Canson’s Mixed Media paper (first coated with gesso).  To transfer the image, I used graphite paper.  This is works like carbon paper except it is graphite so can be easily erased.

Special Effects

For the desk, I thought I’d create a mini collage from bits of old newspapers, namely the Financieel Dagblad which is the Dutch version of Financial Times.  He used to be a financial controller in a big bank in Holland and in addition took a keen interest in he financial markets.  I drew some details with some oil pastels on the wall and the shirt.  And some modelling paste for the trees, wall and hair for some texture before painting further.

More Painting

I used a series of acrylic paints throughout and for the small areas acrylic markers.  I used the pots of paints from Dylusions.  It’s just a simple cute painting which would look lovely on his desk at the hospital.

This A4 sized painting was framed in a photo frame.  Unfortunately I was not there to present his dad with it as was away but my boyfriend did.  He apparently loved the painting and quite pleasantly surprised it was a cartoon version of him and his wife.  I’m not good at realistic sketching at all!  It is indeed very depressing and sad that his dad hasn’t long to live.  Just hope the painting will give him some peace for the time he has.  We all love you!