Charcoal drawing of my dear friend

I completed this drawing of my wonderful friend a long time ago and gave it to her for her birthday. There are acid marks on her forehead etc now, as I could only afford a cheap frame back then. It was of my first charcoal portraits, so it could be more polished, but I feel I captured my friend, as I saw her, and I am still happy with that.

A few years after she tragically died at 34 years of age. Her parents asked me if I minded if they kept the portrait on their wall. Her parents passed away in old age, and my friend's sister had the drawing for many years. She returned it to me on the 30th anniversary of my friend's death.

I am very pleased to have it again, as I see my friend's thick, wild hair blowing in the wind at the fun picnic with friends. I can remember enjoying that sunny summers day in the country. She was a gentle, intelligent, kind person with a great sense of humour and made my  family and I laugh and smile, and I still smile when I think of her, even though sometimes it is through tears.