Gardening with Grandad
32 x 24” | Oil on Birchwood | 2024
By Martha A. Wade
One day, my dear friend Mrs. Allen was showing me photos of her granddaughter, and I stopped her mid-scroll: “Wait, she is AMAZING. Can I paint this one?!”
She laughed and said yes — and it turned into a commissioned portrait for her son and daughter-in-law.
In the original photo, the little one was holding sandcastle toys. But something told me to place her in a garden instead. I changed the setting, the colors, the tools — not knowing at the time that her late grandfather had actually been an avid gardener. Suddenly, it all clicked.
This painting is about that invisible connection between generations — how our ancestors watch over us, guide us, and still walk beside us. She’s holding his hand, even if we can’t see it outright. I wanted the moment to feel magical, but subtle — not spooky or surreal, just true.
I lost my own father three years ago, and I still feel him around. I talk to him. I carry his lessons in my art. This piece honors that presence — the kind you can’t explain, but you know is there.
I’d love to create more like this.
A series, maybe.
Stories we carry in the garden, the kitchen, and even on car rides to work.
