"Grandpa"

This painting is 24x24 oil on canvas.  It's a painting of my grandpa who passed away about 2 weeks ago.  It was pretty unexpected and I've had  a hard time dealing with it.  My grandpa and I were very, very close.  He is the greatest man I've ever known aside from my own father, who is the man he is because of my grandpa.  I decided to do this painting for my family and for myself to have at the viewing and funeral.  My grandpa passed away on a Saturday and the viewing was Wednesday so I really only had Monday and Tuesday to finish the painting.  I don't know why but it helped me cope to be sitting in the studio painting.  I wanted to give this to my family and have it depict my grandpa as we all remember him.  My grandpa loved life and was an active and hard working man who loved to play.  I wanted to paint him with a smile on his face and capture the life that he lived in one painting.  I feel like I succeeded and the response I received from family and friends at the viewing who saw the painting was pretty awesome.  My grandma immediately claimed the painting and I think it will help us all to get through things each time we go to her house and see it on the wall.  I love and miss ya grandpa!