He's a kind, warm and very genuine person, but beyond that, he has more energy than most of the kids I know. When he told me his age, I made him show me his driver's license, and even then I wasn't entirely convinced.  He has a smile for everyone and lives life as if it's a gift handed out every morning. 

That’s impressive, considering that the elderly in this country are neglected and ignored.  Which is not just outrageously unfair, but downright stupid.   We live in a culture that worships youth, anything bright and shiny, new and improved, but it's not all about the latest technology, the iPods and iPads, the Jessicas and Justins.  

The truth is, the young are blank slates, waiting to learn and absorb what their grandparents already know.  Where else can you find the experience of many decades, a veritable living history, wrapped in an entire generation?  The lines and wrinkles of old age, rather than something to erase, represent the story of a life.  Old is not an insult, it’s an achievement, a reason to celebrate. So that's what I'm gonna do.  Drawings to honor the lives of our grandparents and great-grandparents.  An ongoing thread, a lifelong project, an addition to, not a change from, the work I do now.