Early this morning, as on most days, I was listening to 'The Writer's Almanac' on NPR. Garrison Keillor was reciting a poem "He Gets Around to Answering the Old Question" by Miller Williams which ended with this stanza:
So now you have asked me the oldest question of all,
You want to know how I'm doing, I told you before,
I'm dying. Been at it for years. Still, I think
I could hang a few more calendars on the door.
This reminded me of a conversation my husband and his brothers had with one of their Uncles -whose portrait 'Narayan Mava' (color pencils 13 1/2" x 10 1/2") is today's post. Couple of summers ago they were visiting their uncle and one of them asked 'the age old question.' When Uncle replied with a twinkle in his eye "Sometimes I am not sure whether I am here or there' - one quick witted brother urged "Please Uncle, Just be here more often than there!'
This portrait was done using as reference a bunch of photographs taken during that visit. I wanted to evoke the feelings he expressed that evening.
