Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Missing my father

Portrait of my father 
black marker on bond paper
7 x 9 inches
Barbara Muir © 2010

Every year this is a hard day.  My father is always in my thoughts. His birthday 
was today, and he has been gone too long.

My posts from the last couple of years on this day say it all:

"Happy Birthday to my father, who died way too young. I found an
old journal of mine talking about his love of photography, and how
he bought himself the best equipment.  I passed some of his gear
on to my older son, and to a neighbour who was studying photography
at Metro Toronto University. My father's photography is amazing and
does stand the test of time.

Girl pretending to smoke
 a chocolate cigarette
8 x 10 inches
Photo
W. W. Muir
(One of my all time favourite
photos by my father.
He worked almost
exclusively in
black and white.
Chocolate cigarettes are not
cigarettes -- just candy. And yes
you can still buy them.  They
call them candy sticks and they are
wrapped in white paper, and look
like cigarettes.)

And his art was also wonderful. I only have one piece, which is in our
front bedroom, and every time I look at it, I marvel at his talent, with
no instruction whatsoever. He read books about art, and that was that
was how he learned.  I wish he was here.  He was a complicated
man, a harsh disciplinarian in our younger years, and a staunch 
supporter of me and my art, and writing when I was starting out.

Have a loving your family day." 

2 comments:

laura said...

How wonderful that you have an artwork by your father.
I was close to my dad too and miss him all the time: a photo I took of him hangs over my art table.
Next week will be ten years since his death and he is always in my thoughts.

Barbara Muir said...

Laura,

Yes it is. I have a lot of his wonderful 8 x 10" photos. He had his own
darkroom for awhile before he started painting. I love his
photos. And I have a painting of his that I love too.

I'm so sorry for the loss of your father. The love remains.
I'm sure that would make your father happy.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO Barbara

Portrait Artist

My photo
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I paint and draw on commission and for shows. To commission a portrait, or purchase one of my paintings please contact me at: barbara.muir@sympatico.ca
A major highlight in my career? Drawing Oprah Winfrey live via Skype for her show "Where in the Skype are you? Galleries: Studio Vogue Gallery, Toronto, Canada. The Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York City. Gallery at the Porch Door, Kingston, Canada. Your positive comments on this blog mean the world to me. I'd love to hear from you!