“One Last Game”

“One Last Game” - Ink & alcohol markers on paper (9"x12”)

Not too long ago, my Gma gave me a tablet that my Papa used to use nearly every day to play his card games. Hearts, Bridge & Solitaire were his favorites and he used to drive my Gma absolutely nuts tapping away on these all day long. I didn’t know what to do with the tablet at the time, so I stored it away in a cabinet until recently. But when I finally got around to powering it on, there on the screen was my Papa’s last Solitaire game. Still in progress from a few years ago, the time elapsed frozen on 10:32, 147 moves made, score of 6 - The last game he played before he passed away.

I started this drawing with a fineliner, having already conceptualized a vision for the finished piece in my head before ever putting ink down on paper. I knew I wanted to draw that Solitaire game, so I started with the cards, worked my way around to the trees, a little bush in the foreground, and 2 silhouettes of bats illuminated against the backlight of a massive full moon. The inspiration for the composition was directly drawn from the innocent, possibly Halloween themed background (which is fitting considering both him and I share birthdays in October!)

When I am faced with intense emotions, art is where I often go to release. When I draw, paint, or am making something with my hands, it’s as if my mind is in an entirely different place. So, for this drawing, I was thinking about my Papa; how he loved so many people, how he was so kind. and how I’ve never heard anyone in my life say anything bad about him. He was a pretty amazing guy and I think it’s safe to say that our family will never fully recover from the loss, but we will do our best to honor him by keepin’ on, and doing what we can to enjoy our time here, support, and love one another above all else.

Neale R. Shinsky

1936 - 2021

Forever Missed.