Rebecca in a purple coat, acrylic on gessoed paper, 18 by 22 inches, 2021

Here is the finished painting entitled “Rebecca in a purple coat.” The painting is included in my Foremothers Gallery. It depicts my grandmother Rebecca Rosenfield nee Kaplan. In this image, she is seen as a young woman, dressed up for an adventure or perhaps a date. Rebecca was my maternal grandmother and she died before I was born. So I only know about her personality and life from stories and photographs.

The Painting Process

While painting, I looked closely at the details in the black and white photo. As I engaged with Rebecca’s image, I imagined her energy and bright spirit. Here she was, stopping briefly to have this photo taken, dressed to the nines, and no doubt ready for a special evening with friends. All stories I’ve heard about Rebecca talk about her sparkly presence and joy for life. My mother has her positivity and optimism and I like to think it is also in me and my two sisters as well.