On the path -- in the Month of Good Cheer

One day on the Ottawa

Acrylic ink, and marker

on watercolour paper
9 x 12 inches
Barbara Muir © 2019

Wow!  What a great name for this month, which has been
so filled with joy and humour.  Amazing.  The class I
taught tonight is exuberant and funny.  Here we are talking
about very serious subjects, and having so much fun,
despite the hard ideas.

The path in this piece tonight is about my father.  It never
occurred to me until a moment ago that I might have
started painting landscapes because of my Dad, who
painted whatever he felt like, but sometimes painted
landscapes.

I have a collection of his photographs -- he was a really
amazing photographer -- with all the best equipment, and
he could have gone pro, but didn't know it.  My oldest
became a photographer, feeling a bit like it was in his
blood, and now is a director of ads and music videos.

Looking through my Dad's photos I found two images
of landscapes that hit me.  So I photographed them and
went to the printer to have them enlarged to
use as reference.  The printer was upset. Why would I
use black and white photography? I was a painter in high
key colour.  I was blown away that he knew that and cared.

I didn't say, "these are my father's images, shot when I
was about 10, so none of it looks the same anymore.
But I love the emotion they relay to me."  Maybe I
should have.  My Dad died before my second son
was born.  I think he'd be happy that I even played
with the idea.  In fact I know he would.  Here's a
sketch to give you a break from pansies!  No I don't
need a break, I'm thinking of you!

Have an honouring your path day.