To make a portrait of someone who has passed on– this is honoring them and honoring someone's deep feelings about them. The choice of who goes in this portrait, and who it is given to–these are so meaningful.

James Gilligan (center) was about to retire. His company consulted his children for what to get him. Their father was very close to his sister and his cousin, two strong women, now deceased, and they felt he would like to be with them one more time–forever–in a picture. Done. I used fine colored pencil and wash for the timeless quality of this portrait, and put the faces in cameo, to be even closer.

“I cried. I never saw anything so beautiful.” James Gilligan.

Andrew Farber gave me these photos of his parents and asked me for two portraits to give to his brother and sister as presents. This is one of them, done on soft blue paper, with Mr. Faber's mother turned the other way, so the picture has integrity.