Recently, I have had a lot of interest in the restoration of old, slightly warn photographs. Revisiting our heritage can tell us a lot about ourselves and I love that when my clients receive these gifts, they instantly begin comparing the painted figure to family members that are still alive today.

In this case, I was asked to paint a sixty-year-old father of three's great grandfather, Ernest. He vaguely remembers his great grandfather as he was alive at the same time just for a while. Maybe it's coming across in the picture or maybe it's what we know of his descendants today but he comes across as proud and strong with a slight bit of humour in his smile.

The photo was well received by the entire family. They observed that when he was alive in the late 19th century, sitting for this picture, he would have had no idea that over 100 years later, this photo would be brought to life through painting, and put up on the wall of his great grandchild's house, being reminisced about by his great, great grandchildren.