At my aunt Sadie’s request, I did a series of robins when she returned to Glasgow some years back, after decades in London. She was fascinated by robins and loved the idea of them carrying the spirits of loved ones who had slipped out of life. I created three images representing important aspects of her life and two more. One representing the love of her life, Peter, and one representing her daughter, my cousin and occasional drinking buddy, Jeannine. Both of whom passed away within a short period, leaving her devastated.

Sadly, Sadie died last year, and at her funeral, a bag was handed to me containing the drawings that had hung on the wall of her flat in Partick, Glasgow. A house clearance saleroom would have been too impersonal. The originals were handed to Jeannine’s son David, as that’s where we think they should be to help retain the family link, and I suspect that would have been Sadie’s choice too.

So I have scanned them and reproduced prints for sale online. It seems like a chapter is completed. Sadie was a real character and has been missed, but won’t be forgotten.