Prologue: The Dream
October 30,2023
I woke from my dream in the early hours of Monday morning. It was 3.00 am on the phone receiver. The face in the dream was etched deep in my mind. I recognized the wide beaming smile and the twinkling blue eyes. After all, I had painted the face more than sixteen years prior.
In my dream, there was no conversation between me and the smiling face. Her beautiful eyes stared deep into my eyes, trying to tell me something. I stared back with a questioning glance, asking the face what are you trying to tell me? The face continued to smile back at me, until I got up from my bed and went to the bathroom. When I returned to bed and closed my eyes, the face in my dream was gone.
In the morning, when I awoke, I realized what it was and picked up the phone to ask the question, what had happened to the Providential Portrait?
On Wednesday December 4, 2002, I had a ring of my front doorbell. When I went to open the door, I recognized at once the face that was about to greet me. I had seen her hundreds of times on the television news, in the newspapers and in the women's magazines.
'Dame Elisabeth!' I squealed delightedly. 'How lovely to see you,' I said as I opened the security door to shake her hand.
Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, who was not quite 93 years of age at the time, had rung my doorbell instead of the home where she had been expected for afternoon tea. Some would say that it was a mistake, but I say that it was providence. It was the beginning of a unique and beautiful friendship that culminated in the painting of her portrait. Dame Elisabeth, one of Australia's greatest philanthropists, was not only a very dear friend, but she was also a great mentor. It was from Dame Elisabeth that I learnt the true meaning of 'Philanthropy'.
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