Sunday 5 June 2011

Peter's Birthday Weekend


Friday June 3 was the birthday of the love of my life, Peter MacElwain. He died 10 years ago, but I still think of him every day and feel very close to him when I am at home in my place in the country. This is one of my favourite pictures of Peter, standing beside one of his sculptures after we had installed it at an exhibition in Alabama (circa 1995). 


If Peter were still alive, we would probably have spent the weekend having a picnic down by the river, with wine and cheese and some of Peter's wicked egg salad sandwiches. Instead, I spent most of the weekend in the studio which Peter built over 20 years ago as a sculpture studio. Last summer, I had it repaired and cleaned up after it had been sitting for many years. Now I use it as my painting and drawing studio, and this weekend, I was in there framing my pieces for Art Fayre. Peter would be pleased I was in there on his birthday weekend.


I don't have many photos of Peter as a young man, but this is one I rather like despite the fact that it is a passport photo. It was taken in the early 1980's, around the time when I first met him and when he was teaching at the Ontario College of Art. He looks so intense. I used to tease him that he looked like a terrorist in this photograph.  But really, he just looks like an artist. 

2 comments:

Knatolee said...

His sculptures were fantastic! And I like how you celebrated his birthday. I'm sorry he had to leave this earth so prematurely. Hugs to you. xoxox

Sarah said...

I think that Peter would be thrilled to know that his studio was still being used for creative purposes! What a great legacy...