Geneviève Groulx

Picking Apples

Portrait of my little brother Christian.

“This is a portrait based on a photograph of my little brother with Down Syndrome, Christian, taking a bite of an apple when we went apple picking some years ago. The light was striking his bright, happy face in just the right way and the wind was blowing softly around us, making the multi-coloured tree leaves dance around us. His deteriorating health was looming over us, but in that apple picking moment, those worries were in the back of our minds, and we let our fun family activity fill us with happiness instead.”