A Multi-Generational Portrait and a Quilt

My great-grandmother was a master quilter. She came to New Mexico as a child in a covered wagon and gained the toughness, frugality, and craftiness only hard times can create. I remember her being warm and joyful, and she was the kind of person who was proud of getting older- excited for every birthday as she aged. Though she passed away years ago, her legacy lives on in the quilts she made for those she loved. Even her great-great-grandchildren, whom she never met, know her love through the blankets they have snuggled under since they were babies.

For the longest time, I have wanted to incorporate her quilts in a portrait, and I had this vision of a multi-generational portrait, featuring myself, my grandmother, mom, children, and a quilt so that it would be like having 5 generations in one photograph. I also wanted to play on the idea that a quilt is like a warm embrace passed down for generations and create a portrait with the blanket draped over my grandmother, as if her mother was giving her a posthumous hug.

As the old adage goes about cobbler’s children never having shoes, my personal projects often take a back burner, and my family sometimes goes years without updated portraits. But I finally made time to bring this portrait to life, and I am so glad I did. These are portraits I will treasure for all time.

Cheyenne Chavez is a portrait photographer located in Belen, New Mexico. She travels around with her mobile studio creating beautiful portraits for families, pets, couples, children, and so much more. In her spare time, she enjoys writing songs, raising chickens, and playing with rescue dogs. She proudly serves the Albuquerque Metro Area and Southwestern United States. To learn more about Cheyenne and the work she does, click the link below.