And I really loved it. I took it with me when I went back east as a Nanny and hung it on the wall in my living room. Or actually I think I meant to hang it on the wall but never got around to it. Which is why it dwelt against the wall behind the couch while I lived there.
Unfortunately, it continued to dwell against the wall behind the couch after I lived there, too. Meaning that I left it there when I moved back west. I was sad. I mourned the loss of that poster for years.
Then one year for my birthday Greg presented me with a hand painted copy of that same scene. He had his sister's friend, who is a painter and often paints copies for people, paint it for me. He hadn't told me anything about it and it was a huge surprise. I love it. And I love him.
And I also love that my sister gave me a magnet of that painting to go on my fridge because she knows how I feel about it.
And I also love that yesterday Aaron brought the magnet off the fridge and into the living room and kept pointing up at the painting and then at the magnet, over and over. Then he got me to lift him up to the painting and he tried to stick the magnet to it repeatedly, with a little grunt at the effort. They just seemed to belong together somehow to him.
(I wish I had a photo of my painting for you to see. Really, it looks so much like the original that most people would not know the difference.)
18 comments:
The label to this post says it all. Way cool.
This is my husband's favorite painting too--largely because of the song. I got a print of it for him a couple of years ago.
The big fat brush strokes are so deliberate and say so much about the artist's struggles (speaking of the original of course).
So cute that Aaron recognized the sameness. You have some bright kids, huh?
Starry Starry Night by Vincent Vango--love it. Song by Don McLean, love it also--one of my favorite songs to harmonize with in the car, same with Bye Bye Miss American Pie.
I love thoughtful gifts. Your husband for sure is a keeper.
Ok, so this is going to be a novel of a comment.
See, my first apartment at BYU had that painting hanging in the kitchen. Everyone moved out, and I was the last one - along with the painting. So although I had never thought much about Starry, Starry Night or Vincent Van Gogh, I like free stuff, so I took it with me. That painting (probably the same kind of poster, it had the title and name underneath it) subsequently hung in all of my college apartments, and in my house when I married (okay, that was an apartment too, whatever).
Over the years I have become really attached to Starry, Starry night, and through it have come to appreciated Van Gogh's artwork, especially the painting of the bedroom. When I began to visualize how I would decorate my kitchen in our new apartment here in Ohio, I planned the decor around starry, starry night, with Yellow and blue and green as the colors. I knew right where I would hang the painting, right over the kitchen table.
I bought paint for my kitchen chairs with this paint in mind. And then when I unpacked our stuff that had been in storage for a year and a half - it wasn't there. At all. Somehow we had gotten rid of it back before we moved, and I had forgotten this fact! So, now my whole kitchen is set up, for a painting I don't own. And I've gone from mildly tolerating this painting to not being able to live without it. I'm going to get another print soon.
Thank you for posting about this; it let me indulge in fond memories of once having owned the same poster. And that's really neat you have a real painted copy.
I think Thora ended up with your poster.
What a great husband. Happy Valentine's day!
Very cute story about Aaron...what a smart boy!
I got to see the original a couple years ago at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. There was such a crowd around it that you had to wait a long time to get a good look at it, but I'm so glad I did! I've always loved that painting, too.
What a sweetheart!
Greg seems like such a wonderful man and a loving husband. I love Van Gogh and reading about his struggles added to my appreciation.
I haven't heard that song in so long--what a lovely surprise. Thank you! (love the painting, too, but the song warmed my heart)
so weird--someone else just blogged about this picture and song, too . . . but I can't remember who. (curse the lack of memory improvement surgery!)
So, did he know you loved and lost that painting, or was it all just proof of your meant-to-be status?
Either way, it was very, very sweet.
My husband and I have this print hanging over our fireplace in our living room. It has been with us since we first started dating back in college, probably about ten years ago. I like to think that you and I share a love of this painting.
I left you a bit of link love on our blog today. If you are interested, check it out. You'll just have to figure out which link is yours, which hopefully should not be too hard!
http://3baybchicks.blogspot.com/2009/02/really-25.html
-Francesca
What an amazing gift!
As I write this, Blame it on the Rain is playing and that just totally makes my day :)
That is impressive that someone could do a painting of it for you. You are instilling a Love of art into your child. It is cool that you wil have that forever to remind you of the relationship you are building together.
Hello Lisa,
I love that painting, too. When I took Art History 2 years ago, we were asked to elaborate on the feelings of the artist that may have contributed to his masterpiece. I think Van Gogh just didn't realize the stroke of genius he had that moment... Enjoy the handpainted one!
I love that painting and that song. (Yeah, I'm old.)
HOw nice!
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