A gift from the past

Well I'm usually not one to hype-up or tell people about my birthday, but this b-day there was an exception.

It was my 34th b-day last month  (yeah I'm a bit behind on this post...it's been sitting partially written for a few weeks now), and I received a gift that at one point was one-of-a-kind.

My father was a fantastic artist (he passed away when I was 2).  We have a handful of paintings and drawings from the 60's and 70's, and there are more scattered among his siblings.

So as my birthday approached my mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I mentioned I wanted a scanned image of a painting that my sister has, but once I said "scanned" she flat lined; being somewhat technologically impaired (haha).  It was a long shot and I felt bad even about asking since the picture is professionally framed and the back is sealed.  So I didn't mention it again, but low and behold.....

I watermarked the images in case you're wondering what all those words are. ;-)

I got it.  My sister cut open the back and got it copied, and my mom framed it.  Oh it is gorgeous!!!!

Like most of my pictures my photography does not give this painting justice, plus it's behind glass so it's not completely all my fault.

This painting is by watercolor, and there has been some slight water damage from forever ago, but it's all part of the character...plus this is how I've always seen it (water spots and all).  

When I picture my dream house oddly this is what I picture, and I'm particularly not fond of two story houses, but for some reason a three story house has a quirky fascination with me.  See the window on top of the 2nd floor?  (That would be my reading room, enjoying a cup of tea.  Where I could see the fantastic watercolor landscaping view).

 Look at the shadowing...isn't it amazing?

Last year or the year before we were going through some old art books that were my dads, and in one of them there was a clipping of this house from a news paper.  Immediately I knew this was the inspiration of my dad's "House" painting.  At first I wanted to say it was the "House", but once compared you immediately see that my dad added a lot more details to his version.

Another interesting part of this clipping was the advertisement on the other side of the print.  An ad for Herbal Essene.  I had no idea it dated back to the 70's, how funny (not funny haha....funny weird).  :-)

My mom said one Christmas her and my dad were tight on finances so she had my dad paint or draw something for everyone, his mom, five sisters and one brother, as Christmas presents.  It's funny how a bad situation (tight on finances) turned out to be a good thing.  More memories, and something to hold onto; something to remember your loved one who has passed on (especially since I have no memory of him).