‘Home is where the snooze is’: a sleepy sketch drawn from a mother’s love

‘Katherine was in primary school then – now she’s off travelling the world’: Deborah Mills’ sketch is a time capsule of her daughter as a child. Photograph: Carly Earl/The Guardian

As a landscape painter, Deborah Mills isn’t in the habit of portraiture – but a surreptitious sketch she made of her daughter Katherine napping on the couch two decades ago has become an unlikely family treasure.

Done in pastels on the back of a postcard, Deborah soon forgot about the inconspicuous souvenir of a lazy afternoon . It was tucked away in a box of family mementos for years before it “re-emerged itself”, Katherine says.

“I had thought it was done about five years ago when I was living at home. But it turns out it was more like 18 years ago.”

“Actually, it’s closer to 20,” Deborah corrects. “Katherine was in primary school then – now she’s off traveling the world. A lot of time has passed.”

The hastily sketched postcard that’s become an ‘unlikely family treasure’. Photograph: Carly Earl/The Guardian

But, despite the passing of the years, Deborah says the sketch still “totally captures” her daughter.

“I love having a kip on the couch with the family moseying around,” Katherine agrees. “It’s my safe space, so for that reason it’s very sentimental.”

‘That picture is a bit of an anchor’: the ties that bind mother and daughter distilled into a single sketch. Photograph: Carly Earl/The Guardian

Her reputation as a “prodigious napper” isn’t limited to her family home. Katherine says her partner thinks the picture is “hilarious”. The pair are currently on a South American jaunt ahead of relocating to London. Along the way, she says, her boyfriend has captured countless snaps of her snoozing. “It’s so typical of me – I can nap anywhere.”

Even though she hates photos of herself, Katherine says her mother’s sketch is different. “Despite the invasion of privacy and the unflattering angle and the vanity of loving a picture of yourself, I really treasure it. It’s how she sees me.”

While the affectionate rendering has accompanied Katherine to various homes across the world since it re-emerged, it’s uncertain whether the piece will join her in London. Deborah says she would be prepared to part with it, but thinks “it probably needs to be framed first”.

Wherever it ends up, Katherine says the keepsake of her in her happy place will continue to connect her with her mum. “I think that picture is a bit of an anchor – home is where the snooze is.”

Do you have a treasured artwork you would like to share the story behind? Email australia.lifestyle@theguardian.com with “Wall stories” in the subject line to be considered for future columns