Life is precious.
Time is limited.
As you begin reading the beginning of this story, you find yourself understanding how quick and sudden everything can change.
Then it hit me. Michael Van De Carr doesn’t create portraits, he creates emotions.
For the rest of the evening, mom kept talking about our portrait. In fact, three different times, I asked my sister “where’s mom?” only to find out she was back in the living room staring at the family portrait.
I talked with my brothers and sisters. We decided I’d find out if Michael was available to create another portrait – with mom and all 17 of her grandchildren.
The next morning I sent an email to Michael at www.retroportraits.net - Thirty minutes later I was shocked – Michael actually called me back himself.
He said, since I already hired him to create a portrait for us once, we qualified for a membership to his Celebrity, V.I.P. Club. Mike was excited and said he would be honored to create this special portrait for us.
He checked his availability. Then, we booked a date for the next month (June 17th to be exact – a very special to me and I’ll tell you why in just a minute). I was lucky. Everyone knows Michael creates a very limited amount of signed and numbered images. 100 per year is his limit. So, making this special exception for us meant a lot.
I told mom to watch the mail because she would be getting some materials from Michael. She was so excited! She went out shopping for and found a beautiful summer dress especially for this portrait.
Now, Michael said this image must be created in an emotionally meaningful place. When I told mom she put her hands over her heart, her bottom lip began to shake, her eyes glossed over and a tear ran down her cheek.
She said the most meaningful place in the world, was the beach, where dad asked her to marring him in 1957.
Over the next month, mom had me take her to the beach six times. We walked in the sand. Mom told me how she met dad there in the summer of 1956.
Then, we walked over to the docks where she said dad first kissed her. She showed me the rocks they sat on when dad proposed to her, at sunset, just over fifty years ago.
The last time we went to the beach, together, was on a Sunday. Just before the photo shoot. That was a very magical evening, indeed. Mom and I were just lost in conversation from 7 until around 11:45 PM.
It was around 12:20 am when I walked her back into her house. Then, I drove back home myself.
That was the last time I ever seen her.
She passed away, peacefully, as she slept. Mom never got to take her photo with the grandkids. Do you know what amazes me? Now, everyday, I look at that photo hanging above our fireplace and I see something more than just a family portrait.
I see a powerful and loving memory of someone who’s not even in the photo. I’m so thankful towww.retroportraits.net and Michael Van De Carr in particular. He is committed to creating the emotional images. He’s known for it. I know, in my heart, if we used anyone else, I would have never spent all that extra time with my mom, before she left us.
If you are considering a portrait – of any kind – I highly, highly recommend you contact Michael Van De Carr at www.retroportraits.net
