Elisabeth with an S Portrait of Elisabeth Barrer by Karen Schectman Cole

From the artist Karen Schectman Cole:“The motif must always be set down in a simple way, easily grasped and understood by the beholder. By the elimination of superfluous detail, the spectator should be led along the road that the artist indicates and from the first, be made to notice what the artist has felt. “.                 - Alfred Sisley

This quote, is a good description of what I intended to do for my friends the Barrer’s . To put down on paper , what I/we want to remember of their beautiful daughter. Their daughter, Elisabeth was my daughters best friend when they were young girls. I remember so well, the shared giggles, the whispered secrets, their love of animals and so much more. I used charcoal and graphite to draw her portrait. I used encaustic medium, which is a mixture of bees wax and resin, to paint over the drawing. It will preserve it and allow the family to gently rub their hands over it occasionally, both in remembrance and love and to eliminate the wax bloom or cloudiness that may appear over time , so that her memory remains clear , forever.

From the family, Stephen, Pamela, Andrew, and Nancy Barrer:

‘Tis A Fearful Thing by Yehudi Halevi

 ‘Tis a fearful thing
To love what death can touch.
A fearful thing
To love, to hope, to dream, to be-
To be,
And oh, to lose,
A thing of fools, this
And a Holy thing,
A holy thing
To love. 
For your life has lived in me,
Your laugh once lifted me,
Your word was gift to me.
To remember this brings painful joy,
Tis  a human thing , love,
A holy thing , to love
What death has touched.”

From the curator: Karen has explained her intention with this portrait beautifully. She has contributed portraits for other exhibitions for Souls Shot Portrait Project, also. It is a wonderful thing to be able to tell people that they can touch the art, especially children that I have guided through the exhibitions. It is a memorable, tactile, interaction with the portrait and a true connection to the subject and to the sense of longing that the family and friends of the victims feel.

Elisabeth with an S Portrait of Elisabeth Barrer by Karen Schectman Cole charcoal, graphite, encaustic medium. 25” x 18” 2018