My grandmother, Grummy, was 97 years old and has been a constant figure throughout my life. Not being able to see her during this time was extremely difficult. It left me feeling disoriented, fearful, and helpless.
I called her frequently but it never felt like enough. She was lacking regular social interactions and things to keep her mind busy. After receiving a letter from a friend, I knew exactly what I could do for Grummy—write her letters!
At the beginning, I found it challenging to come up with things to write about because my thoughts were consumed with gloom and doom. Having nothing to write about led me to seek inspiration from old photos and memories. I could never describe the memories well enough in the letters so I began drawing them instead.
The best thing about these illustrations are that the majority of them are from reference photos of my life travels and experiences. By choosing these moments to depict, I'm able to bring Grummy to places she's never been and show her a part of myself I didn't often share.
Each of the illustrations are sketched in pencil before being inked. The sizes vary but are generally 2" x 3.5" and took about 1-3 hours to complete. I've found I work best by creating multiple drawings in one sitting and send one out with the letter once a week.
Whenever we talked on the phone, we would have something positive and exciting to talk about. Grummy always expressed how happy my drawings make her. And for me that joy it brought her is something I will cherish forever.
The last photo of Grummy and I together