Commissions
My grandpa, Bob Raymond, was a hard working guy. He was very successful throughout his life and lived it to the fullest. He loved farming, boats, fishing, reading, spending time with his grandkids, and he loved my art. Any opportunity he had, he'd show people pictures and would rave about how much he loved my work.
Years ago, he had been diagnosed with an aggressive stomach cancer that had turned debilitating. It did not however, stop him from fighting to live for as long as he could.
In April of 2026, I took the opportunity to visit him while he was in Hospice at home. I had been no stranger to the cycle of life, having grown up on a farm for a time as a kid but seeing someone you love, who welcomed you as their grandkid (despite not even being related), who loved you so unconditionally, was heart wrenching. It was the first time (the first of many yet to come) to witness firsthand what the beckoning of death looks like upon someone so familiar. And regardless of how he felt, of how much pain he was in, of the exhaustion that weighed him, the drugs that lulled him in and out of sleep to manage how he felt; upon moments when he was alert, the joy that my presence brought to him had been a gift.
To make it short enough to give you some perspective as to who he was, while he was going through all of this -- While I sat with him, holding his hand, he cared more for my comfort than his own. Whether I needed anything to drink, whether I was hungry or needed to rest. He was the most selfless man I'd ever met and I truly believe that the universe gifted him to my siblings and I, or maybe, we had been a gift to him.
Saying goodbye was the hardest thing I'd ever done. I promised him that I'd never stop making art and I know wherever he is, he's holding me to it as my #1 supporter.
Losing someone you love puts into perspective the life you choose to live. It forces you to face the things you may value or hold dear. Losing my grandpa showed me that having a busy life, being burnt out just to try and survive, missing valuable time with family, wasn't worth it. No money or job can ever replace how rich you feel when you're surrounded by the people you love.
When I decided to paint my grandpas portrait, I had a lot of pictures to choose from and had been very close to painting him driving his houseboat but upon last minute, I decided to paint his cheerful face as he stood with his back to Lambeau Field. He had been a HUGE Packers fan and my dad had brought him before his health took a turn for the worst. I'd later learned after finishing the painting that he claimed it had been the happiest day of his life. I like to think to myself that (wherever he is) he had some influence over which portrait I painted.
So grandpa, this one is for you <3