Uncle Gilbert’s Portrait of Jason Arrives...

Gilbert Rona presenting Jason his portrait

Gilbert Rona, my wife’s uncle, presented Jason, our nine-year-old, with his portrait for Christmas.  It was Gilbert’s first portrait, based on a photograph that he had taken.  Although the portrait was a few years in coming (you can’t rush an artist, especially when using oil paint), it was well worth the wait.
 

Jason was excited seeing it and, being the proud father, I kept pointing it out to various family and friends who came to our Open House on Christmas.  Most of Gilbert's relatives didn’t even know that Gilbert had taken up painting, let alone the huge talent that he possesses.

Now Jason’s younger brother Justin is expecting his own portrait after Gilbert mentioned that he planned to do one of him, too, though that may take a couple more years...

Four years back, after a  Lovers and Strangers Revisited talk and reading at the Little Penang Street Market, Rashid, an old friend who sketches there every month, did a quick sketch of me.  Personally, I’d rather have a portrait than a selfie any day.  Any idiot can take a photo of himself and post it, but it takes real talent to sketch and paint, and also a little patience by the subject to sit and wait for the final product.

Robert Raymer

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Here are links to four of my author-to-author interviews of first novelists:

Ivy Ngeow author of Cry of the Flying Rhino, winner of the 2016 Proverse Prize.

Golda Mowe author of Iban Dream and Iban Journey.

Preeta Samarasan author of Evening is the Whole Day. 

Chuah Guat Eng,  author of Echoes of Silence and Days of Change. 

Plus:

Five part Maugham and Me series

Beheaded on Road to Nationhood: Sarawak Reclaimed—Part I