Posts about my brother Mike.
This is the reference photo for yesterday’s sketch. Mike was very relaxed and looks pretty happy here. I didn’t quite capture this expression yesterday, but I felt compelled to share this image today. It was always heartwarming to see Mike smile. I don’t have an exact date of this photo, but it is most likely […]
This sketch does not faithfully represent Mike’s amusement (presumably at his situation). The reference photo shows a devilish smile that I just could not capture. The folks responsible for Mike at that time, frequently had to call emergency services to help take care of him. The visit depicted below must not have been too serious, […]
Mike had certain ways of positioning his hands. I don’t think they meant anything. His hands were very delicate.
Mike* needed a lot of help with activities of daily living (ADL). When we visited him, Dad would try helping. *Mike is my older brother who is autistic, low functioning and nonverbal.
The photo from which this sketch was taken was mundane. When I photographed Mike, I usually looked for drama. I felt that I would gain insight about my unreachable brother by capturing him in unusual situations. For those of you just joining me, Mike is my older brother who is autistic, low functioning and nonverbal. […]
I took the photo on which this sketch was based, while on a walk with my brother Mike* when he was living in his group home. The look in Mike’s eye is different in the photo than in the sketch. I wonder if the scale of this drawing has anything to do with its look. […]
Every time Veterans Day rolls around, I feel emotional. My brother Mike was born on Veterans Day. Today he is 70 years of age. I haven’t seen Mike in quite a while. My thinking about him has changed over the years. As a child, I tried to make contact with him. Mike is severely autistic, […]
In the study below, I used a collection of icons that represent my brother Mike* and me. I’ve also been looking at some of the line drawings of Paul Klee, and marveling at, not only their simplicity, but their flawless placement on the paper. I think this piece stands on its own but I don’t […]
When I began my book about my brother Mike*, I sought advice from other artists and writers. One of my teachers asked me whether my book was to be a window or a mirror. That was difficult to answer. If my book were to be a window, it would tell my brother’s story objectively. If […]
In this study I reduced a portrait of my brother Mike* to a line drawing, borrowing a bit from Paul Klee, Bauhaus Master and Painter from the early part of the 20th century. On the left side of the paper, I drew the same line drawing, first with white pencil, with the hope of creating […]
