Focus on the Family, "Turtle Dinner"

Focus on the Family Magazine needed an editorial illustration to go with this opening paragraph:

We are never too old to live for the future. But by the first pinch of loose skin, we crave a second chance at youth. We even narrate the rough-and-ugly years like we miss them. My grandmother flashed back to her adolescence in the 1920s with pride. “We caught a turtle and ate it for supper,” she said. “That’s how we got by back then.”

The art director knew what she wanted -- a young woman in 1920s dress, about to eat the turtle dinner. So this is what I came up with:

They loved it! And I enjoyed creating it too. I love limiting the color palette significantly to simplify the image. :)