My grandmother's hands.

My grandmother's hands.

I painted them from memory because she passed before I became serious about art. I remember they were always doing something. Peeling. Stirring. Folding. Praying. Never still. Even when she sat in her chair in the evenings, her fingers moved like they were knitting invisible thread.

I used burnt sienna and raw umber for the skin tones because those are the colors of earth and that is what her hands reminded me of. Soil that could grow anything.

Oil on linen. 24 x 36. This one stays with me.

#Art #OilPainting #Portrait #Hands #BlackArt #AfricanArt #FineArt #Grandmother #Legacy #Painting #ArtistLife

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Watson Luka @lukawatson5078

Wow. The part about her fingers moving like they were knitting invisible thread... that got me. My grandma used to do the same thing—her hands were never still either, even when she was just watching tv. I love that you painted them from memory, that makes it so much more powerful. And the earth colors... yeah, that's exactly right. You can feel her in this just from your words. Would love to see it if you ever share a photo.
13 days ago

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