Last Thursday was my big brother Armand’s birthday. He would have been 68-years old. Armand has been gone for seven years now, and each year on his birthday, I try to do something, as a dedication of sorts, to celebrate his life, who he was, as well our relationship together. Somehow, I find comfort and solace in the exercise, whether it’s preparing one of his favorite Armenian meals, looking through old photos, binge watching his favorite movie (The Godfather I-III), or simply meeting up with those he held dear and sharing memories. This year, I decided to drive up to Doncaster Park, one Armand’s favorite “plein-air” painting locations. On countless occasions throughout my childhood, my mother and I would accompany Armand on what felt like a never ending car ride, on our way to an adventure in an enchanted forest far far away. I’ll be honest, at times I was bored out of my skull and couldn’t wait to get back home and watch my favorite cartoons on TV; other times, I’d let my imagination get the best of me, as I scared myself with images little red riding hood, and Hansel and Gretel deep in the forest. But more often then not, I remember attentively watching in silence and in awe, as he magically transformed the empty white canvases before him, into a jaw dropping masterpiece, right before my very eyes- stroke by stroke, with the flick of his wrist and a simple beat up palette knife in hand. When I asked how did he do it , he’d repeated the same foreign phrase I never understood at the time- “chiaroscuro”, the opposition of light against dark. Revisiting the site, walking the same paths we walked together, step by step, and sitting in the same nooks my brother installed his easel, was truly cathartic and refreshing.... Anyhow... i just felt like sharing some of the images I captured during my visit, in tribute to my big brother’s memory 💗 I hope you like my interpretations. 😇 Sincerely, Mary Tatossian #ArmandTatossian #tatossian #canadianartists #canadianart #oilpainting #originalartwork #dedication #tribute #rip https://www.instagram.com/p/B3C3UVcnIl6/?igshid=1xw3ac54qqu8j