My latest painting, Nana and Gar (2018), is a tribute to my maternal grandparents, Valda Esther Finley, OAM (1930-2008) and ‘Miles’ Yizhak Meyer Finley (1912-2008).
My grandfather (‘Gar’ as he was known) has inspired many paintings including, Photobooth (2014), Renaissance (2017) and War (2017). I last painted Valda in 2008, using her old hairdryer case as a canvas.
She was the eldest of seven children. Although she did well at school and had aspirations of becoming a doctor, this profession was still largely unavailable to women.
Honoured
She was greatly influenced by her aunt, Vida, who became one of the first female pharmacists in Australia. Ultimately, Valda became a nurse.
In her spare time, she volunteered for the St John’s Ambulance Association. She also taught First Aid, which is where she met my grandfather. They were married for almost 60 years and had three children, of whom my mother is the eldest.
When she was in her 50s, my nana went to university to further her studies. In 1986, she graduated with a Masters in Applied Science. She specialised in Audiology because she wanted to help others who had suffered from hearing loss like her.
Although Valda wore hearing aids in both ears, this didn’t stop her career as an Audiologist. At age 60, she even published a book entitled ‘The Hearing Impaired and their Needs’.
At a time when most people would have retired, she served as the President of the Maurice Zeffert Home. As a result, she improved living conditions for Jewish seniors in Perth. In 1997, nana was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her achievements.
I chose to paint Nana and Gar (2018) to honour my grandparents. As they were such a strong couple, it felt right to paint them together. I wanted to show both their innate kindness and their inimitable sense of humour.
Nana and Gar (2018) is a personal tribute to my grandparents and a way to preserve their memory a decade after their deaths.