My German friemily

In times of war I feel like family is more important than ever. 

There's the biological family and there's the family one can choose.

Today is the International Family Day, and I don't have drawings from my whole biological family to show you guys. But to celebrate the occasion, I will share with you the portraits of elements of a certain family very close to my heart - my German friemily. 

Here, you can also find out a little bit about my connection with Germany, how war is related to my family's history and, the positive things that rose from it.  

Happy family day, whatever it means to you!

The German seed

I feel like I need to share why my connection with Germany goes way back. 

My great grand father was a vice-consul of the United Kingdom and his brother, my great grand uncle, was a vice-consul of Belgium. During World War II, they helped hundreds of Jewish war refugees to escape. They offered their own houses as shelters, helped them to find work, a safe place to live and provided assistance with all the logistics required for the refugees to leave Europe. 

After the war ended, they were dubbed by King George the VI of England and by King Leopold III of Belgium. They are also featured in the museum dedicated to World War II's Jewish Refugees in Portugal, Vilar Formoso - Frontier of Peace. My family has provided information to the museum, photographs and many letters of some of those refugees thanking them for their help. The stamps help us to realize these people went all over the world. When the Museum formally opened, I was there with the President of the Portuguese Republic to represent my ancestors.

This vice-consul of England was the father of my maternal grandmother that, due to such, had contact with refugees from all around the world during her teenage years.

Also during the Second World War, my maternal grandfather was working in England as a surgeon, where he performed many surgeries in war-wounded people. That had a strong impact on him. 

When my grandparents got married and had kids, my grand father - with his Anglo-Saxon free spirit and medical experience - and my grand mother - with her background with refugees - decided to educate their kids having contact with Germans so that they had fewer chances of having preconceptions against them. Also, both of them learned and became fluent in German. 

No matter which side of the war one is, there are always innocent and good people in both sides. This may be a huge lesson nowadays, regarding the present war circumstances. 

The beginning of everything

Due to my grandparents' background and options, my Mum and her siblings were partially raised by several German ladies, but one stood out: Hannelore. She lived with my family only for a year but her impact was such, that our family is still in close contact with her and her family.

One of my mother's childhood German book, Max and Moritz.
She wrote her name on the cover.

More recently she bought in Germany
this new version of that classic.

Hannelore's education as a kinder garden teacher must've been a blast for my Mum and her siblings. 

She's taught them German, and did many artistic and ludic activities with them, like taking walks in the nature, doing theatre plays, German story telling, singing or doing the Christmas tree ornaments. 

When I was a kid, my Mum replicated the later with me. I loved it! 

According to my mother, when she was a kid she was bilingual, and thought in German.

Over the years, Hannelore and her daughter Sabine visited us several times. It was because of one of their visits to Portugal, when I was a child, that I was, since then, obsessed with learning German. I ended up learning a little bit. I love the sound of that language and I'm fascinated with its degree of accuracy.

When I was a teenager, Hannelore's daughter, Sabine, lived in Portugal for a year in our family place.

At the time, she already dated Christian, with whom she later got married. They have a beautiful family, with two kids, Felix and Clara. Clara was named after my Mum's name.

I know those kids since they were babies such as Hannelore and Sabine know me!

It's amazing how the connection is kept through generations. 

Every time they visit us or we visit them, it just feels like home.

A special birthday

My Mum an I went to Germany to visit them, apropos Hannelore's 80th birthday. It was a surprise for her and for the little Clara. They almost passed out when they saw us entering their living room!

Hannelore's brother, Onkel Uwe also joined us for the occasion.

It's been a while, since I wanted to draw this family. This time, I finally managed to do so. I even drew little Ajuga, the most recent element of the family: a super dog and my new friend too!

Hannelore © Rita Draper Frazão

After so many decades of living in Portugal, Hannelore can still say some words and understand a little bit of Portuguese! Oma means granny in German, and I started to call her OmaLore. 

Hannelore is a force of nature, and in this day, she was the life of the party! Regarding that, I felt like using in her portrait, some elements of the party decor. They also add shine, fun and color to the composition. Besides being a kinder garden teacher, I feel like Hannelore has a deep creative and artistic side. She's the type of person that knows what she wants and I admire her strength (translated into the contrasted black pen on white paper) and how she takes care of herself with great pride. 

I can see it in the way she talks, how she dresses, on her hairdo, or in her way of walking. She is also a very affective and joyful person, one that is just so easy to connect to. No wonder we love her so much!

Onkel Uwe © Rita Draper Frazão

Even though my Mum had met him decades ago, I have only met Uncle Uwe on this trip. I absolute adored him! Such a sweet, and thoughtful human being. I was moved with the siblings connection and how he traveled the country to join his sister on her special day. 

Sabine © Rita Draper Frazão

Sabine is the most devoted person to her family I have ever met! Every time I hang around her I am always so impressed with the efforts she does to provide happiness to her family. Generally a caring person, I see that trait of hers in small details too. The way she organized this whole surprise for her Mother, how she cooked, how she decorated the living room for the party and even the wrapping papers she used. I could feel and see how much love she's put into everything, including how she and her family welcomed us. I feel like, in her own way, she also has some arts & crafts skills, so the portrait I've made from her, has a collage made out of one of her wrapping papers. I then painted her silhouette on top of with in a light shade. Sabine might very well be the fairy that does white magic happen without anyone noticing how she pulled it off!

Christian © Rita Draper Frazão

When I was drawing Christian, I had the sensation it might've been a little off for Christian's to pose for me. I know, that often happens in people that are used to be the observer and not the observed. This includes me too! Christian is a great photographer, with a curious open mind about other people, cultures and places. This portrait relates to his broad vision of the world. 

I picked the color of his eyes to transmute them into circular particles in the air. I also thought of this as a way to convey other characteristics of his: lightness and sensibility, and love for nature (green).

Felix © Rita Draper Frazão

Felix has piercing blue eyes! I admire his strength, adventurous spirit and entrepreneur atitude. I feel like he has a lot of energy and his fast mind is straight to the point. I believe he is one of those persons that has the world and a life ahead to conquer! The gray is actually silver and I thought of metal, coins, money and medals. Also when drawing his profile, I thought of it as if it could be in a medal or coin too! 

Prinzessin Clara © Rita Draper Frazão

When Clara was a little kid, she reached out to me because I work as an artist. She likes to dance and she was my first drawing student (You guys can't imagine how hilarious was this art class where she didn't speak English and I spoke very little German! Fortunately drawing is a universal Language!) 

I feel like she is a very feminine girl, hence the bow and the title, little Princess Clara.

Ajuga © Rita Draper Frazão

My encounter with Ajuga was very special. There is a time in my life before and after I met Ajuga. Before I was afraid of dogs and, afterwards I met him, I no longer am. I did hypnosis to heal my fear and that worked, at least to be able to be indoors with a dog. But what I sure didn't expect was how this dog is. I am pretty sure I've never came across with such a polite pet in my life! Ajuga is the most loving dog I have ever met and sure deserved not only a proper portrait as a mountain of hearts.

I left Germany happy, and reassured that love in whatever form - within the family, in a love relationship, with friends, animals, nature or whatever - is what matters the most.