My Father the Collector of Things

"My father a mathematician and electrical engineer instilled in me a very curious  mind and the love of collecting natural objects as well as vintage treasures."  that was an excerpt from an email I wrote to someone last week when they asked me to write an artist statement and describe to them my process. I have known it almost all my life but only in the last week did I have some very strong memories of my first rock collecting experiences with my father. We collected all sorts of minerals and gemstones but our favorite things to discover were fossils. We would study books to see if we could identify them and if we were ever stumped he would take the sample to the geology department of the university that he taught at to get assistance. 

This evening I gathered together a few things that used to belong to him and some other things that he loved and made a little organized collection in honor of his birthday. He died when I was 16 years old but he has been such a strong influence in my life everyday since then that it seems in a way he never really left. 

The items in the collection are : my father's antique cricket boot pull,  spider web crochet covered stone, embroidered spider on linen covering a stone, vintage polish postage stamps,  fossil, crochet covered stone spider,  animal bone, one of my father's matryoshka dolls,  a fractal patterned stone, my interpretation of a fern fossil, very old picture of my father taken in St Petersburg, my father's movie camera, one of his books about Warsaw before and after the second world war and last some acorns because my father used to take us to a little island park to get ice cream on Sunday's and we used to call it Coconut park but it was covered with tall oak trees and we would collect acorns there.

Comments

[Rane]

What a lovely tribute to your
father, I love the photos.
He sounded like he was more than
a father, a teacher, a collector,
husband, good example and maybe
even a great friend. We are
blessed with only a hand full
of amazing people that influence
us in a great way, they mold us
into what we are. Some are greater
than others, but there is always
one that stands out over others,
Happy birthday to him,
With love,
Rane
~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Vivienne Strauss]

A very touching post.

[Siri]

I see you've inherited you've inherited much from him, and I'm not talking about things.

[abby]

Thank you for this glimpse into a piece of what helped shaped your talents, curiosities and interests. That collection you share is so interesting - I have never seen a video camera quite like that! My dad died when I was 18, and while it was the hardest experience of my life, I have always felt so fortunate to have had the time and the relationship with him that I did. We were friends, and he also was a teacher and a model for many of the things I still value and find interest in today.

[Sarah]

What a lovely collection. I love the photo as well! Thanks for sharing it.

[melissa]

a beautiful post. your writing made me think about my own father and what i might have picked up from him. i love that last photo- perhaps they're looking up to the trees?

[saganaga]

great collection ! (my father was an electrical engineer, too, he passed away when I was 19)

[Karen]

A lasting legacy. Thanks for sharing.

[Amy Hanson]

That is a really beautiful grouping. Your father's pic from St. Petersburg--was he from Russia? My grandfather's family was from Minsk...I was wondering about the origin of your name--but perhaps it's a married name?...Anyway, lovely.

[Christina]

This is such a great idea. I have memories like this of my dad, too. We ALWAYS collected rocks and that is probably what lead to me seeking my geology degree. We, too, have the boot remover... I always thought of it as a trilobite. Probably because he and his dad collected them and I associate. It does look more like a cricket. :)

[mayaluna]

What a beautiful and moving way to honor your father and share more of how and why you are the amazing woman we all love.

[lefiligree]

what a beautiful bond your recollections bring to the items of the collection. with the story they seem to speak to each other.

[Melissa R]

What a wonderful bunch of memories and I LOVE the photo!
My dad died in 2005, very unexpectedly and instantly. He was 64 and NOT ready. I had no idea what a huge influence he was in my life until he was gone. He told me, warned me, but I didn't believe him. He was right, I do miss him now that he is gone. A lot. My legacy from my dad, well, I guess there are many, but some are:
Family is IMPORTANT.
Do what you say you will do.
Get stuff done. Don't sit around thinking or talking about doing it, just DO it!
Some things ARE black and white.
Put oil in your car.

That's it in a nut shell, I suppose :)
Thanks, I needed that nudge!

[Izabela]

this lovely tribute to your father and beautiful colection, I can see where you got your interest in those beautiful things you collect and make...

it was very nice to this post seeing Polish words in the picure... "Warszawa odbudowana" means "Restored Warsaw" and this is the capital city of Poland where I come from... Was your father from Warsaw? (I wish he was - your blog is my every day inspiration...)

best wishes
Izabela

[elenka]

How sad to lose someone like that when you were so very young. I'm glad you have those wonderful memories.

[Jenni in KS]

I read this post the other day and was so touched by it, but then one of the kids needed my help and I didn't have time to comment. Thank you for sharing the wonderful memories of your father with us. It reminded me of my own father.

Were the crochet covered stones his? Is this something that someone in your family did before you? I found your blog only recently and really enjoy it, but I don't think I've ever seen crocheted stones before. They are so lovely. I just assumed it was something you invented.