A Gift Completed

A couple weeks ago I wrote that I had started a painting to give to my cousin Brigitta when I visit her in Switzerland next month.  Last night I completed the painting, and here it is...

The picture is of the church in my ancestral town of Othmarsingen.  Othmarsingen has a population of about 2,500 people and is located about 30 minutes to the west of Zurich.  My great-grandmother was born here in 1864.  In 1873, she, along with her parents and siblings immigrated to Ohio.

My cousin Brigitta, along with her brothers Werner and Andre and her sister Ruth, were all born and raised in Othmarsingen.  She now lives in Uster, a small city to the east of Zurich.  Ruth and Andre still live in or near Othmarsingen, and Werner lives in Madrid, Spain, where he works as a translator.   

I visited this church four years ago on my first trip to Switzerland.  It was built in 1675, and it is beautifully maintained inside and out.  My great-grandmother was baptized here, and, before her, generations of my family were surely baptized, married and buried here.  It was amazing to think of all the family history which took place here.

I rarely do a painting of the same place more than once, but this is the third time that I have painted this church.  The first time was in 2011 as a gift when I first met my cousin Werner in Madrid.  Later that year I did a winter scene of the church which I used as my Christmas card.  Now this painting will travel with me to Switzerland as a "thank you" to Brigitta for her hospitality, and for welcoming me as a part of the family.

  My cousins Werner and Brigitta when I was in Switzerland in 2012