This is a 9x12 portrait in Acrylic, which is the size and medium I regularly use whenever I go to Winkler Court to do portrait because it is the right size for the printer at UPS store where I make hard copies of portraits I made at Winkler Court. I always mail the copy to the nursing home in addition to an electronic photo I send by E-mail.
Ellie is a graceful and thoughtful old lady. She is also a new resident of the Alzheimer unit. She was a sweet talker. However, she had trouble keeping her memory straight. She easily forgot what I told her a minute ago. She kept asking me how many children I had and I had to repeat the same response numerous times. She was obviously a personable lady and kept calling me a nice guy and she asked if my children loved art and whether I taught art to them. I answered all her questions. She said she was sure my children loved me very much and she was happy for me.
In spite of the nice chat, Ellie might be the one at Winkler, who made me feel the saddest while painting. For one thing, she was so forgetful that she constantly forgot she was posing for me. She either moved her chair or simply was lost in her thoughts and rested her chin in her palm. When she looked at the portrait I made, she asked, "Is that me? I thought it was someone else." Evidently, while physically she might still look normal, all her social communications and confusions of mind told me that a meaningful life was already gone. I could not but feel sad for talking to her made me feel like walking into a house right after it was tossed over by a terrible tsunami.
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