Victoria Gottlieb De Gonzalez, a lady in pearls always is just one way to describe her but there are other descriptions that come to mind, a guardian angel, Oliver’s Dominican Abuela, a dear Friend, funny, lively, busy, direct and always thinking of others.
Painting Vicky over a year
Last year at Vicky’s birthday lunch, I showed up with no present, but instead, the gift I had in mind was a portrait. This was going to be a two way gift, having the pleasure of spending time chatting whilst trying to capture her on a black canvas. I thought I was done, and so I handed her a painting after two sessions and thought no more of it. But when I visited her at her home a few months later, I realised that my painting did not really reflect who I saw, so I asked to have the painting back so that I may continue painting it, of course with the caveat that she come over for coffee again. This time after redoing the painting, approaching her second birthday, I feel happier with it. So we shared yet another birthday date and this time with friends who each told stories of how we met us.
A measure of a Lady
The fact that she wears pearls mostly every day is just a reflection of her style. But when the ladies at breakfast sat down to explain how, some 40 years ago they came to meet this extraordinary lady, well, tears flowed. A measure of a lady is how her friends, old and new describe her. People who choose to share their time with her over the years, through thick and thin. Our family to certain extent has to put up with us, but our friends, well they have a choice…and if they stick around for 40 years, isn’t that a measure of a person’s integrity and character? People told stories of how Tia Vicky reached out to them and touched their hearts in profound ways.
This painting is a tribute to the woman who we choose as family, our guardian angel.
Thank you Tia Vicky
Big hug
Tom, Lotus and Oliver
