Fishing with Grandpa

This is a portrait of my grandpa inspired by the times we spent at his favorite fishing holes around the farm. This portrait is a studio composite of many reference photos I gathered while visiting him one summer. He sat for a couple of pencil sketches, and I also took many photos. One day he saw me coming with my camera in hand and said, “No way, you have enough.”

Later that day, the two of us went fishing, and I took advantage of the fact he had nowhere to go. I pulled my camera out of my pocket, he gave me a quick smile, and I snapped the photo. It was a great reference because everyone in my family remembers seeing him from this perspective.

It was an honor when asked to display Fishing with Grandpa at the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum as part of the Grand Rapids, Michigan's Art Prize Show.

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