Prompt: “The theme for Week 24 is “Artistic.” Is there a painter, crafter, quilter, knitter, crocheter, or musician in the family? This is their week.”

I’ve combined Amy Johnson Crow’s 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge, and Steve Little’s The 2025 AI Genealogy Do-Over, to create a unique 52 AI ancestors in 52 weeks party!

52 AI Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 24: Artistic

Introduction

I was a computer science major in college. This is, in part, because I have no artistic talent whatsoever. My drawings look like modern art—unintentionally. But I grew up knowing that my grandfather’s sister, Lydia Coral West (1888–1944), was an artist – my grandparents had a still life oil painting of hers hanging in their house.

Discussion

I was recently reminiscing with my uncle about our memories of the family, and it turns out he had a charcoal drawing that Aunt Lydia did of my grandfather (his father) when he was small. He offered the drawing to me and of course, I jumped at the opportunity! It’s dated 12/31/1914. I quickly got a custom frame, and I proudly display it in my home—with a detailed note on the back explaining the artist, subject, and provenance, of course.

Figure 1 My grandfather, age 7, as drawn by his sister

Well, I may have no artistic talent, but I can appreciate this century-old portrait of a man I loved well.

How AI can help

Even if you can’t paint like Aunt Lydia, AI tools can help you see your artistic ancestors more clearly:

• Restoring Images: Try AI tools like MyHeritage Photo Enhancer or Hotpot.ai to sharpen old photos of artworks or portraits.
• Detecting Watermarks or Signatures: AI-based image analysis tools can help uncover faint or hidden artist marks on old paintings.
• Identifying Art Styles: Upload artwork to platforms like Google Arts & Culture to see if it resembles specific art movements or periods.
• Family Storytelling: Use ChatGPT or Sudowrite to help you write a story or caption from the artist’s point of view for creative flair.

Challenge:

1. Find an artwork, piece of sheet music, or handmade item created by an ancestor. Use AI to enhance a photo of it.
2. Write a fictional letter or diary entry from your artistic ancestor using AI assistance. What might Aunt Lydia have said about drawing her little brother?

Summary

Even if we aren’t artists ourselves, we can still honor the creatives in our family tree. Lydia Coral West may not have had a gallery opening, but her work hangs proudly in my home—and her legacy lives on through stories, images, and a little digital help.

Further Resources

• MyHeritage Photo Enhancer: Sharpen and colorize old family photos and artwork for clearer details.
  myheritage.com/photo-enhancer
• Hotpot AI Tools: Offers image restoration and background removal—useful for isolating and enhancing old sketches or crafts.
  hotpot.ai
• Google Arts & Culture: Explore art styles and historical context by comparing your ancestor’s work with museum collections.
  artsandculture.google.com
• Sudowrite: An AI-powered writing tool that helps generate creative writing, fictional letters, and ancestor storytelling ideas.
  sudowrite.com

Next Week’s Topic: “FAN Club” – it’s time to look beyond your ancestor and into their Friends, Associates, and Neighbors.

Disclosure

This post was created by me with the help of AI tools. While AI helps organize research, the storytelling and discoveries are my own.