Review

Dad, if you’re reading this please look away now.

I mean it.

Your surprise will be ruined if you carry on reading.

Stop! Go and do your crossword or something.

Right, has he gone now?

Then I shall begin. I’ve written about my dad here before, so I won’t tell you about him all over again. Suffice to say my heart has ached for him this month, as he said goodbye to someone he loves, forever. Even though he’s my dad, I’ve wanted to give him a big hug and take away all the crappy feelings of hurt and grief. But, clearly, I can’t do that.

What I can do, though, is make sure he has something to open this Christmas that will make him smile.

This is a photograph taken of Frog in my parents’ Devon garden earlier this year, right after they gave her a present for her second birthday. The beloved tractor…

And this is the beautiful print I’m giving my father for Christmas: This is a Monoprint by the talented Natasha Gomperts. Natasha is an artist specialising in family illustration and portraits. The way she has taken this photograph and turned it into a stunning, fun and completely unique monoprint has left me beaming.

I’d never have considered commissioning a personalised monoprint as a gift before, it’s just not something that would have crossed my mind. I don’t know why, because it’s such a brilliantly personal present, perfect for someone who has pretty much everything they need already. It certainly beats socks or yet another pack of cotton hankies.

Being the brother of an artist and the son of an artist, my dad is no stranger to beautiful creations. But I think he’ll love this quirky print and the way it brings another dimension to the photograph.

I hope it will remind him of a sunny afternoon filled with laughter and bossy shouts from his grandchild as she barked orders at him, telling him where to take her on the tractor.

I hope it makes him smile.

***

You can find out more about Natasha Gomperts work on her website and Facebook page. The print featured in this post was provided for the purpose of this review.