This one is special. Long since they passed away only now to reappear in pastel. This one represents my uncle Ben taking care of his son Matthijs some 30 years ago. Matthijs was a special person: of character and always cheerful but also challenged by a double handicap. He lived a life as good as he could wish for with the ever care and support of his parents Ben en Helma.

Even though he was taken care after very well and, together with his parents, his sister Marie-José and all my family stood beside him, he passed away in his early 30s, a couple of years later followed by his father Ben. Making this one was not easy, since doing a pastel like this one constantly takes you back in time but I take comfort in the fact that after we all will be gone, they can linger about in livingrooms of descendants of the Corbeek  family and perhaps, if future generations look close enough, they can be spotted in the back corners of the internet, commemorating the love of a father for his son.

Pastel drawing on Canson Mi-Teintes Touch paper (50 x 65 x 0.1 cm)

Artist: Corné Akkers