Annapurna was a surprise for my beloved neurologist, who has successfully treated my multiple sclerosis for thirty years. As an expression of my gratitude, I told him I wanted to paint a watercolor for him. I asked him what he would like me to paint, and he said: “My daughter.”

His daughter happens to be Annapurna Sriram, an award-winning actor, writer, and director who plays the lead in the film Feral, which can be seen on Amazon Prime.

Annapurna sent me several photographs from which to choose a reference. We narrowed it down to two photos, and I asked which one she liked best. She thought one of the photos was better artistically, but she thought her father would prefer this photo because it “shows more life.” Of course this is the one I painted.

Because I finished the painting in the time of Covid, I showed it to Dr. Sriram during an online appointment with him. If I’m not mistaken, I saw moisture come to his eyes.