The Seasons of Life

My grandmother has taken up writing over the past couple of years, and has written several short stories. One of these, "The Seasons of Life" is partially based on her life growing up in Virginia. It's a wonderfully written piece, and she asked if I would create an illustration to go along with it.

After reading it, this picture immediately sprung up in my mind. It is based off of this scene:

We watch the buggy until it is out of sight. Grandpa is taking Mama to the train station. My little brother holds my hand. He suddenly lets go and runs into the house. I hear Grandma consoling him.

It is the summer of 1935 in southern Virginia. I am ten and my brother is four. It is a gray, foreboding day. The sky has turned an eerie gray-green. Soon it begins to pour.

I run into the house and up the stairs to my room. Our father recently passed away. Our mother is going to a city three hundred miles away to work. Our grandparents will care for us, and we won’t see our mother again for four years. This old farmhouse will be our home for the next six years.

The raindrops collect on the window panes. I think of them as the tears I cannot shed. I finally fall asleep.

She is currently shopping this story around to several publishers, and I really hope they give her a shot-- her stuff is fantastic. And I'm not just saying that because I'm biased-- my grandmother rocks hardcore!

This piece was done in Painter X and Photoshop CS2.