Grandpa (b.1926) by Olympia Zavros

I am currently in Year 10 at Moreton Bay College. I am interested in art, music, and science. This is my first time working in oil paint.

This is a portrait of my Grandpa, Ken, my mother’s father. He has just turned 97. This year, he moved into a nursing home, which was a very difficult time for our family. After many falls, he could no longer live safely at home, though we had tried to keep him there. He was very sad to leave his cat and garden, and my Granny. His health has really deteriorated, and he doesn’t eat much anymore. He is not the tall, strong man he used to be.

He enjoys it when I send him recordings of me playing the drums or of things I am painting. Sometimes, I play the guitar for him as he has lunch. I was born and live in Brisbane, and my Grandfather lives on the Gold Coast.