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This Woman Paints Free Portraits of Lost Loved Ones to Comfort Grieving Families

This Woman Paints Free Portraits of Lost Loved Ones to Comfort Grieving Families

What started with a love of painting has become something far more personal for Judy Young.

Young, from Bromyard, has been creating posthumous portraits since 2017 and only asks for a donation to St Michael’s Hospice in return.

The charity, which has centres across Herefordshire and Worcestershire, supports people with terminal illness. It cared for Young’s granddaughter, India, who died from a brain tumour.

Discussing her artwork, Young said: “It’s very moving, it’s always moving painting a portrait, and I have painted still born babies right up to people in their 80s and 90s.”

She said: “What’s so moving to me is because I want to hear about the person and learn about them, I don’t just have a photo, I have an idea of their character and their essence.

“It means a lot when I’m painting, it’s not just a photograph that I copy, it’s much deeper than that.

“I feel very connected with the person who’s died and the person who’s commissioned me to do the portrait. I can’t really describe what a wonderful feeling it is.”

Speaking about her granddaughter, Young said: “She inspired me because she was a sweet baby and a sweet little girl, and very photogenic.

“I painted lots of portraits of her but sadly… India died with a brain tumour at St Michael’s Hospice in 2017.

“And I’ve been moved by her, and the great work the hospice did looking after her at the end of her life.”

Young said she had stayed in touch with many of the families she had painted for, including some overseas.

She said: “I only started painting because I love painting. I never thought it would lead to such deep connections.

“I’m still in touch with lots of the people, some abroad, who I’ve never met, that I’ve done paintings for. I’ve got paintings in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and America.”

Read more from BBC News.

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Jonathan Vize
Jonathan Vize
Jonathan is the Managing Editor of The Daily Goods and Director of Content at Goodable, where he leads everything from daily storytelling to the systems powering content across the app and API.

He has over 20 years of experience in newsrooms, storytelling and digital content strategy. He began his career in broadcast journalism, rising through the ranks as a video editor before taking on the role of Senior Manager of Broadcast Operations, overseeing 150+ staff at Canada's Biggest television newsroom.

Jonathan oversees all content teams and output at Goodable. Jonathan loves his family, golf and professional wrestling (in that order).

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