Welcome to Day 22 of Ziva's "30 Days of Photographs II" non-contest.Today's theme was "Portrait". Since I already did a "Tissue and Pills" portrait the other day for "White" -- I felt redoing it and making the unhappy face a little happier just wasn't going to cut it.
I had a great idea of taking a photo of a photo of the King of Belgium which was given to my grandfather by the King himself (apparently they knew each other) but my daughter made the determination that a portrait is more of a close up facial thing...and good old Albert or Leopold or whoever it was sitting at his desk from 20 paces away wasn't going to constitute portraiture. I still debated this in my head back and forth as I thought it would be kinda nifty.
The only other option I really had was a charcoal pencil drawing of my grandmother whom I was always told I resembled (but I didn't want to do the split face thing again)...so that's the one I went with. But first off, please check with these fine people to visit their even finer blogs...with handsome photographs you will undoubtedly automatically be smitten with...then check mine out after the list:
I had a great idea of taking a photo of a photo of the King of Belgium which was given to my grandfather by the King himself (apparently they knew each other) but my daughter made the determination that a portrait is more of a close up facial thing...and good old Albert or Leopold or whoever it was sitting at his desk from 20 paces away wasn't going to constitute portraiture. I still debated this in my head back and forth as I thought it would be kinda nifty.
The only other option I really had was a charcoal pencil drawing of my grandmother whom I was always told I resembled (but I didn't want to do the split face thing again)...so that's the one I went with. But first off, please check with these fine people to visit their even finer blogs...with handsome photographs you will undoubtedly automatically be smitten with...then check mine out after the list:
MikeWJ, Nicky and Mike, Mo, Meleah, John, aka nonamedufus, Bryan, aka Unfinished Person, Malisa, Nora, LaughingMom, Tanya, Elizabeth A., 00dozo, Cheryl, Kristen, Katherine, and, last -- but definitely not least, Ziva.
Day 22 -- Portrait:
This is a portrait of my grandmother, Albertina Maria Van Marsenille, drawn by either a brother or an uncle named Emile Van Marsenille. As the drawing was done in 1909, I am not certain if she was still a maiden lady or now a Mrs. Van Haute. As my mother was born in 1918 (the exact day the Romanovs were all executed), and she had older and younger siblings...I'm not sure where exactly 1909 falls in that timeline. I would believe my grandmother would be in her very early 20s at the very most in that portrait.
I then spent the next couple hours rummaging thru many old photos and paperwork written in Flemish to try to determine various other information. It was, to me, fascinating. I've tried going on those geneology sites before - but all leads to Belgium never seem to pan out to anything. Yes, if you had American relatives, no problem; ones from Belgium and Czechoslovakia...good luck. If you know how to delve into those records...please, if you wouldn't mind, clue me in...I've never had anything of value pop up. I am sure I could possibly contact my relatives in Belgium...but I'm not sure if any of my mother's siblings are even still alive. Unfortunately, death has a way of rendering you permanently silent. It would be great to get more information firsthand...maybe one day.
Anyway, I enjoyed my time-travelling very much thanks to Ziva's little non-contest here. :)
I then spent the next couple hours rummaging thru many old photos and paperwork written in Flemish to try to determine various other information. It was, to me, fascinating. I've tried going on those geneology sites before - but all leads to Belgium never seem to pan out to anything. Yes, if you had American relatives, no problem; ones from Belgium and Czechoslovakia...good luck. If you know how to delve into those records...please, if you wouldn't mind, clue me in...I've never had anything of value pop up. I am sure I could possibly contact my relatives in Belgium...but I'm not sure if any of my mother's siblings are even still alive. Unfortunately, death has a way of rendering you permanently silent. It would be great to get more information firsthand...maybe one day.
Anyway, I enjoyed my time-travelling very much thanks to Ziva's little non-contest here. :)
