My daughter-in law, Olga, took this photo of her parents on the streets of Mykolayiv in 2017: Whether in the Spring or the Fall I can’t be sure, but, I promised her I’d paint their portrait using this photo. This promise was made 5 years ago.
Both of Olga’s parents have since died of natural causes, before the Russian invasion, with Olga at their side. I began and finished the painting this past Spring, I now feel an overwhelming gratitude, that Anna and Sergei Gatsuk did not live to experience the destruction of their hometown and their country.
Karen