My Mother

This is a drawing of my Mother.  She passed away about four years ago.  I was trying to decide who to draw for this medium (I wanted to try charcoal and white) and she seemed like the perfect subject. I also have some old photos of her that I think would be fun to draw - from her college days.  But, this is how I remember her - before she got sick, before she lost weight.  This kind of captures her - the beads (she wore beaded necklaces a lot) and the big smile - she so often had a big smile on her face.
When I started this drawing, it looked like a man with a helmet.  I would walk by it and think, "how is this ever going to look like my Mom?"  But it evolved and then there was a point where I suddenly looked at it and said, "oh, there she is!" and it was finally her. It was kind of cool for her to suddenly be right there in front of me, as lines and shapes suddenly became more than that, and became my Mother.  Maybe she helped me with it a little :)