Portrait of A Grandmother: A Study In Art

I love my grandmother to the moon and back. I’m very grateful to have her in my life. Not only that, I’m extremely grateful to have her in my children’s life. They don’t yet know how lucky they are to be able to spend their childhood with their great-grandmother, our “Lola.”

She plays with them, as much as her frail body and energy allows. She tries to talk to them, but it’s hard now after her stroke 2 years ago. But she still tries.

Most of all, though, she cooks. She loves cooking for others. She feeds anyone who comes over, waiting for that smile after the first bite. Waiting for us to get up and get seconds, maybe thirds. I think it shows part of her generous nature, in wanting to feed people.

That’s why I took a picture of her in the kitchen. I feel like the kitchen is her natural home. Without her, the kitchen would be bare and sad. Without her in the kitchen, adding love into her cooking, the food would be bland.

I recently found an photo app called Prisma and decided to use my grandmother’s picture on it. I’m so glad I did. I think that, with the different Art Filters, my grandmother and the kitchen seemed to convey different moods and personalities through the photo. I took the original photo above and ran them through 10 Art Filters…

Filter Name: DREAMS

If my grandma were to show up in my dreams, I think it would like this. Her shape, her action, and her presence in the kitchen, not quite detailed, yet still there – all embody this dreamlike state. Wouldn’t you agree?

Filter Name: LOVE

This one is my favorite. My grandmother seems to meld with the kitchen, like she’s as much a part of it as it is a part of her. Kitchen tiles gets a whole new meaning in this one.

Filter Name: GOTHIC

I don’t think I could ever imagine my grandma in a dark setting. However, I have seen her get mad before. This art style gives just a little hint of what my grandmother’s capable of. I’ve heard her say before that if she could still talk the way she did before her stroke, she can out-mouthe and tell anyone off!

Filter Name: URBAN

This one feels solemn, cold, and sad. It reminds me of the days when she gets depressed and starts wishing she was back in the Philippines again. She looks like she’s just going through the motions of cooking, but her mind is somewhere else.

Filter Name: MONONOKE

This looks the most natural of all, I think. My grandmother looks busy and focused, which I think captures the moment perfectly.

Filter Name: WAVE

Finally, this last piece just exudes peace and tranquility, don’t you think? I believe it’s modeled after that famous Japanese wave painting, “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai. This is my most favorite of all the pieces! I know for a fact that my grandmother loves the kitchen. I should like to think that when she’s there, she feels the most calm, therefore the happiest, too.

There you have it! I hope you had as much fun with these different photos as I did.

Most importantly for me though, is that I’m sure this photo of my grandmother will be forever etched in my mind, along with all the feels that go along with the scene. And that, I think, is the best, most definitely beautiful part of this post. 😉

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