Goodbye, Harry

One of the best ways for an artist to honor the memory of someone—like my 91-year-old father-in-law who passed away last week—is to draw them.

Dear Harry,

As I drew you, even though you were already gone from this world, it was as if you and I were alone together.

Before I picked up a pen, I stared at and studied your face, marveling at your brilliant smile, your laugh lines, and your cherub cheeks, your green leprechaun eyes, your glorious dome of a head and your wild tributaries of whitewater wrinkles.

As I drew you once, twice, five times—with pencil, watercolor, brush, charcoal and pen—it was as if you were talking to me and I was listening.

As I drew you I began to notice things I had never seen before. I began to know you—through the visual essence of your face—as I never had known you before.

Drawing you, Harry, was my way of seeing you and hearing you, my way of honoring you and remembering you.

Goodbye, Harry,

I’ll see you in my drawings,

Your artist son-in-law,

Josh

Have you ever drawn someone important to you as a way to remember them? Or looked at a drawing of someone as a way to recall them? I’d love to hear your story.