It's an honor

Reflecting on Fathers and Forefathers


I count my blessings that I have a wonderful father.

Dad and his father before him were skilled craftsmen, builders, and entrepreneurial in spirit. They worked the land on my great-grandfather's farm in rural Ontario, Canada, and both established small businesses to earn an honest living and served their community with their skills.

Their beliefs, principles, and values helped shape who I am, influenced choices I've made and paths I've taken, and helped me recognize the things in my life that matter most.

My father is incredibly kind, faithful and insightful. He has abundant patience, evident when he didn't flinch after I, a rookie young driver, showed him the distorted bumper on our family car.  He could fix most things and I'll forever remember him looking through his eyeglasses, calculating, pondering, with some tool or another in his hand ready to take on a task. He is dedicated to his faith, his wife, and family, and to his community. He's disciplined and regimented - evident in the way he takes good care of himself, diligently doing exercises after recovering from a broken hip, or being sure he eats a good breakfast every day - the same breakfast he has eaten for decades - raisin bran with milk, and toast with honey (I'm not kidding).

We all have a heritage, whether it be biological or adoptive, inherited or chosen.  We're all shaped by experiences and relationships, they inform who we are and why we choose the paths we do.

Pause for a while this weekend, remember and celebrate the father who has helped shape your life.

Happy Father's Day, Dad, and thanks. I love you.

 
 

From left to right, my great-grandfather, Frederick Sr., my grandfather Frederick Jr. (when he and I were fishing together at 6 am one morning), and my Dad, Robert Otterman

gratitude + love = pure joy

THEIR EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE IS LIKE NOTHING YOU COULD IMAGINE...

It was powerful and overwhelming, and it was a trip that will be forever etched in my heart.

In May 2015, I was honored to travel to the Netherlands with my father, then a 90-year-old WWII Canadian veteran. We were invited there to celebrate the 70th anniversary of their liberation, and I experienced firsthand what it is like to be immersed in the kindness and gratitude of the Dutch. They value their freedom, and they feel it is their duty to thank the people who fought for it.

In 1945, my father was witness to the horrific impact war had on the people of the Netherlands. He was there at the end of the war and also experienced the jubilation of their freedom. During his subsequent trips back, and also in 2015, seeing survivors and their families and children celebrating in the streets, brought him much joy and brought me to tears.  

It also made me realize I needed to create a body of work inspired by those emotions. 

The piece above is comprised of photographs I took on that trip in 2015.  It is intended to recognize the continuation of generations and pay tribute to those children who did not survive the war. My father was keen to shake the hand of this young girl in the crowd at a parade in the city of Apeldoorn. The cherubic image at the top left (a photo of a bronze sculpture also taken while there) represents those children who lost their lives and are viewing the exchange between soldier and survivor's family. 

The things we experience in life have so much meaning. When we take the time to preserve those moments, especially the moments that land in our soul, they can be enjoyed generation after generation.

Preserve what matters most.

 
 

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one great Momma!

Well, this is special.


It's not every day you and your family get to celebrate someone's 89th birthday.

If you are blessed with having a parent in your life for that long, you might know how I feel.

My mother embraced technology and owned a computer before most of her children did, and her grandchildren asked to come over to do their homework on it.  She is a talented editor, an organizing queen, and at one time she knit like a pro and was one of a few braillists in Canada to translate music for the blind. She spins circles around us all in Scrabble and this cruciverbalist speeds through crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and does a fine job with Jeopardy questions every weeknight at 7:30 (don't phone her then). 

I'm in awe of her remarkable and unwavering love for my father, her husband, the guy she's been married to for nearly 70 years after he asked her to wait for him when he went off to war. That whole "'til death do us part" thing was put to the test after my Dad had a serious fall last year that immobilized him, and she nailed it - with patience, care, and love.

I love my Mom for her smarts, her companionship, her strength, her wisdom, her practicality, and the unending love and support she continually shows me and my family. She is truly an inspiration I am lucky to have.

So today, I'd like to honour and celebrate her, because that's what matters most.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

 
 

2017... make it your best year yet!

How will you make your 2017?


The hustle of Christmas is gone, and what lies ahead is patiently waiting for us.  What will you do?  How will you spend your precious time?

My brother died suddenly last month. As I move beyond grief, I know that the relationship I had with him, and the memories I treasure, will inform my artwork in some way. I'm not going to stress about the details of how and when, but instead let it show up and become what it will.

I have great hope for what this year will bring - deeper friendships, new relationships, new work, new paths. I continue to add pieces to my collections, and will let you know when they are ready to go (you can check out my website by clicking the link below).  Coming up very soon, my family and I are traveling to the small island of Tobago next month for the trip of a lifetime. I know the lush rain forests and spectacular views there will be inspiring!

What has occurred in your life that will help you make and take the next steps?  I hope you know now or are open to finding out soon.

And I hope you live your life fully aware of, and surrounding yourself with what matters most. My brother certainly did.