Tales From a Dead Guy

Dalton was 27 when he died — fentanyl and a combination of other substances. His adoptive father, Gary, came to me with a commission. I think he expected a 5 × 7 caricature. What I gave him instead was a full, beautiful portrait of his son — a charming young man, rendered with the care and attention his life deserved.

Gary refused to follow up on the commission and gave it back, along with a heartfelt card. He took the card. I suspect he never showed his wife the illustration. That silence said everything.

There was a massive lesson in this piece — in what it means to make something beautiful for someone who is grieving, and in how grief doesn't always know what to do with beauty when it arrives. Dalton's portrait lives here now, where it can be seen.

• Medium: Mixed media illustration on paper
• Size: 11 × 14 inches, framed and matted
• Type: Original one-of-a-kind work
• Subject: Dalton — a portrait commission, returned
• Shipping is covered and fully insured — your piece arrives protected.