Right now I’m on a plane back to Puerto Rico for my mom’s funeral. She was very ill, and even as sad as it is, I know she was suffering a lot. The last time I saw her was a month and a half ago. I was able to sit down for a while and sketch her. When she saw it she said: “Oh, I look pretty! If your dad sees this he’s gonna fall in love again.” I’ll never forget this moment, as I captured her fainting smile while she was falling asleep. Mom, I’ll love you forever.
These last three days have been the saddest ever. One of my best friends ever also passed away two days ago. We’d known each other for thirty years… Basketball pals, neighbors, college classmates, colleagues, co-workers, golf enthusiasts, sketching buddies. His watercolor sketches were very inspiring, with bold shapes and saturated colors, with a pigment loaded brush. He changed my attitude towards sketching, as I’m not afraid to make mistakes. He used to say “It’s just a piece of paper. Who cares if you mess up? This isn’t neurosurgery!”
And he was right. From now on, he’ll always be present whenever I’m sketching and painting, as I’ll try to honor him by being even looser, bolder and fearless than ever. I know he would’ve enjoyed this process. ¡Hasta siempre Rafi!
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