Monday, June 13, 2016

Into the garage and some touching drawings from the past


 Sam sleeping, or Sleeping Sam
black marker on long writing paper
8 x 16 inches
Barbara Muir ©
(This looks like baby Sam, our 
youngest son might have fallen asleep
on the couch with his pet Kangaroo -- Kanga.
He must have been very new because he
was a big baby). No doubt his mother was 
trying to write something while she watched him!

Our garage is in rough shape, and going to be repaired
in a couple of weeks,  so we've slowly and
reluctantly been emptying it out. The last thing you need
in a small house is to bring more stuff in, but the time has
come to sort it.

To my surprise there is some treasure in the creaky
structure.  Old letters -- so thorough and descriptive.
People used to write one another long, long letters.
8 pages hand written in a fine hand is almost
standard in the these letters from friends and relatives.
And the writing is astonishing, fresh, intelligent,
funny and vivid -- bringing back those moments as
dramatically as a video.
The Boys : van Schaik-Moo Moo
(My sons Christopher, on the left, and
Sam, the baby, were called van Schaik Muir,
a combination of my husband's name and mine.
Both now both just use Muir professionally.  My brother,
the writer and I call ourselves Moo Moos, 
affectionately)
black marker on long writing paper
8 x 16 inches
Barbara Muir ©
Another treasure is a stack of drawings of what life
 was like then, being sent back and forth by Fax.  I
know people who still use Fax machines, but they
seem almost historic. And these long drawings on
the kind of paper we used years ago are
interesting.  I'm showing you two tonight.  My brother
in Ottawa and I have been working on writing and
editing assignments together now and then since
we graduated from university.  These drawings of
my children were meant to catch him up on what we
were doing.

Have a finding art memories from the past day.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

indeed a treasure to come across these drawings Barbara. They are so sweet. Maybe you could keep them in a photo album or something to have them handy as memories...it's always a big job sorting through stuff, isnt it.

cohen labelle said...

Treasures ! Perfect --love the drawings.
Marcia

Marilyn Flanegan said...

I can only imagine all the wonderful memories you have that are flooding back you - the perks of reorganizing!
: )
How can we not see the love in your precious drawings.
love, Mar

Judi said...

What lovely drawings Barbara! You should frame those. I enjoyed reading your post and hearing about your findings. Its hard to part with some precious things because when they are gone, they are gone! But you'll feel good once its all done and you'll be reacquainted with memories from the past.

Hope you have a great week!

Judi

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Sally,

Thank you so much. Yes it's a sort of endless job, and of
course current work demands, and life gets in the way.
How about the journals? Of course I teach journal writing,
but there are so many. I was reading about camping with the Christopher
and Sam, when Sam was a baby tonight. So awful, and so beautifully
described.

Miss you.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Marcia,

I remember our kids playing together, and picnics together. So
much fun.

XOXOXOXOXO Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Thank you Marilyn,

I so enjoyed my little boys. They were wonderful,
and have grown up into amazing and sweet men.
I'm glad my love for them comes through.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Judi,

I was teaching writing today, and this search through old
letters was helpful, because there was a note from my
mother, talking about gardening and cooking, and right
at the bottom something about coming to Toronto and
speaking to a corporate boss at the time who had been
mean. I think I got so lost in the details in the other
part that I missed that intense support. She would show him!
Funny. The man who hassled me was fired about a week
later for sending out a mass email attacking his boss.

My mother was ultra polite, and would never have followed
through. But I so wished she were alive reading that
so I could tell her how great she was. And in class I
said that that was the power of words!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO 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!