Farewell to February and Happy Birthday Daddy

Daffodil Selfie

Black marker and Caran D'Ache 

watercolour crayon on Moleskine paper

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015

This has been the coldest February in Toronto
in 43 years.  Achingly cold.  When you consider
that February is a winter month, the coldest
one in nearly half a century explains the extreme
level of cabin fever in this town. So you'll understand
why flower sales of spring flowers are way up,
and why even though we had a lot
of fun this month, we are glad to see it go.

I decided to colour in my little daffodil selfie
using the Caran D'Ache and water on a Q-tip
method my friend told me she used to paint
on long plane trips.  It is definitely more
vital in colour.

Today is my father's birthday and I think of
him every year on this day.  I would love it
if he were here, or up in his house on the Ottawa
river, and I could raise a glass to toast him and
sing Happy Birthday, but I will have to be content
with imagining this as a possibility because he
has been gone for a long time.

What did he give me?  An eye for art, beauty and
flowers for sure.  A sense of humour, his smile,
a clear understanding that he loved me, my education,
beautiful homes to live in in three different cities,
a love of reading.  The list goes on.  Thank you
Daddy.  Happy Birthday.

Have a celebrating-your-parents day.