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An International Family Affair - Creating Art in a Single Frame of Exposure - part 2 of 1 2 3 4 5

by Luke Edmonson Published 01/12/2016

If I could peel away the layers for you, under the surface, Dad was thinking back to his college days when he first started studying art history. He often would counsel me that he was so young and immature at the time, in hindsight, it felt like he missed an opportunity. That internal voice inside of all of us called out urging him to become more deeply acquainted with the works of master artists. That somehow it is the key to his new vision of fine art photography.

A week after returning home, I arrived at our studio near Dallas, Texas to discover that Dad had suffered a stroke. David woke up that morning and realised that his left arm was immobile (he's left-handed), couldn't see well, and couldn't speak. While many people might call this a major setback, something that can derail a person's life, my father felt peace.

He embraced the recovery process and worked hard at it while doubling down on his refocused enthusiasm for studying the masters and refining his vision. Most importantly, it made him realise that life is both precious and short, and there is still so much he wanted to create and communicate to our family and others.

His recovery has been nothing short of remarkable. While his voice sounds scratchy to him, for those who have no point of comparison, he sounds completely normal. He's regained his vision and a good deal of mobility in his left arm and hand. It's the fine-motor skills that have reduced what he can do in Photoshop. The Wacom tablets are out and it’s back to a mouse.

Then, in February 2013, my sister Elayne passed away unexpectedly. The portrait he created of my three sisters and niece in England was the last photograph he would ever take of his daughter. Somehow everything in our world began to coalesce around the themes of the arts and family.

Family, Photography, And An Italian Master

New life brought joy to our family with the birth of my daughter, Holland. Naturally, her name inspired Dad to explore the world of the Dutch Golden Age and the styles of Vermeer and Rembrandt. My sister, Sara lives with her husband in the heart of Rome, Italy surrounded by the works of great Italian masters. The cinematic style of Caravaggio's paintings was both interesting and appealing to study.

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1st Published 01/12/2016
last update 09/12/2022 14:55:07

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