"For The Love of Art" Natalie Forrestall memorial Art Prize for Best Child Art Entry at The Annapolis County Exhibition 2011

Renee, dad and I gathered up art supplies and an art book to put together the prize we give annually in our dear mother's honor. Since mom was a children's art teacher, and always encouraged and inspired us to make art, for the last six years since she passed away, we have done this.

I delivered this years bountiful basket of sketchbooks, drawing material, watercolor paint, paper, brushes etc...to the Annapolis County Exhibition Art Show on Thursday, August 18th. Dad very generously gave a signed copy of his retrospective art book. It's such a wonderful thing to be able to do for the budding artists of the valley, who have no places to buy quality and varied art materials like these. I got to see the winning entry, a lovely charcoal still life of pears. Well done!

Here is a photo of dad and I with the basket, before I delivered the prize.

The note I included in the basket for the winner.

And here is a photo of the winning artwork, a pastel drawing of two pears by Kenzie Taylor. Well done, and congratulations!

March 13th, 2011 In loving memory

Five years ago we lost our loving mother and wife. Although a day doesn't pass that we don't think of our little mother, on the fifth anniversary of her passing, we took time as a family to reflect on this extraordinary lady, whom we had the privilege of loving and her life.

As my sister Renee reminds us, "The most important thing in our mother's life was her faith and living a life that was true to her beliefs. A devoted Catholic, mom chose to become a Franciscan because of her passionate love of Saint Francis of Assisi. Our mother loved animals and was dedicated to a life of simplicity. She adopted vows of poverty and went to church every day. She emptied her pockets for anyone in need. My brother Frank said, "Every day I get to experience mom's boundless capacity for love through her grandchildren, who still affectionately recall her as Grandmaman." Monica remembers her lifelong commitments to good works, for which she insisted on not discussing or promoting herself for doing. From the fifteen years she served meals to homeless gentlemen at Hope Cottage to her home visits and tireless work for the Saint Vincent de Paul Society. Anyone who stopped and and asked her for change she dug into her pocket or handbag. Natalie truly believed everyone was equal in the eyes of god, and she treated everyone the same, from the Premier of Canada to the man who found their way to Hope Cottage for a meal. Mom selflessly supported the work and dreams of her husband, children and grandchildren with a heart filled with love.
My dad, Tom Forrestall sums it all up, "To this darling lady, I owe everything I have."
We love you mom, then, now and always.


Natalie LeBlanc Forrestall on her wedding day.

Auld Lang Sine: Remembering past friends and loved ones

The words 'Auld Lang Syne' literally translates from old Scottish dialect meaning 'Old Long Ago' and is about love and friendship in times past. The lyrics in the song referring to 'We'll take a Cup of Kindness yet' relate to a drink shared by men and women to symbolise friendship. 


Happy New Year.


above: Tom Forrestall and Natalie Forrestall, (who passed away in 2006), on their 
year long biking honeymoon in Europe. 

above: Steven Parrino (1958-January 1st, 2005), reading a newspaper in Paris near the Eiffel Tower.

above: Olivier Mosset and Steven Parrino in Staadt, Switzerland. 

John Armleder, Monica Forrestall, Steven Parrino, Staadt, Switzerland.

---Monica Forrestall

Natalie Forrestall Memorial Children Art Prize at The EX

     Every year I organize a prize in our mother's name: The Natalie Forrestall Memorial Children's Art Prize. We sponsor this prize at The Annapolis County Exhibition's art competition. The Ex, as all the locals call it, is the BIG county fair and something my mother and grandmother loved going to, and taking us all to every August. Going to the Ex was (and is) one of the highlights of fun for kids summers in Western Nova Scotia.
     Our dad sponsors two of the prizes as memorial prizes for our grandmother Esther Forrestall and mom, Natalie Forrestall; the best watercolour and the best watercolor in show. And as a group, my brother Frank, my sister, Renee and I get together and buy some good quality art supplies to give as a prize for the best piece of children's art in the under age 8 category. This year the prize (which will be judged and decided on today) will include canvases, acrylic paint, craypas, watercolor pad, sketch books, watercolor pencils, brushes etc...In this area of the province, it's very difficult to find good quality art supplies, so this is our way of putting a nice and varied supply into the hands of a child who loves to make art.

It is also a small way of ours of acknowledging our wonderful mother, who was an art teacher for many years in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and helped support the family as my father painted. Our mother was a very talented painter and the woman who encouraged all of us to paint, draw and celebrate life by looking at and making art every day. To you mom!

A couple of entries in the drawing category August 2009.

And the 2010 winner of the Natalie Forrestall Memorial Art Basket is Jacob 

with his winning drawing of a birdhouse (below).

---Monica Forrestall

Happy Father's Day to our dad and grand dad, Tom Forrestall

Dearest Dad,

We love you dad.  You are the inspiration and love of all of our lives, dad!
Your love and loyalty define who you are. Your talent and hard work inspires all of us every day!

We start and end with the family! (Anthony Brandt)

(from left): Monica, Renee, Jack, proud dad, our loving mother Natalie, Curphey (in mom's arms) Bobby (the bob-tailed cat) and William circa 1968.

xxxooo

Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter. Brad Henry


Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible -- the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.

Virginia Satir 


Your family and your love must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing.

Jim Rohn

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.
Desmond Tutu

No matter what you've done for yourself or for humanity, if you can't look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?

Elbert Hubbard



---Monica Forrestall

Remembering the most wonderful mother of all time on Mother's Day

Tom Forrestall, Natalie Forrestall and Max Forrestall Schuss in 2002.

Mother's Day is always bitter sweet for me, overjoyed to be the mother of a wonderful son, who fills our days with sunshine. Still heavy of heart thinking of our extraordinary mother, so filled with generosity and love for everyone she met. Truly, one of the kindest people I've ever met. She'll never be forgotten by anyone who ever loved her, or had the good fortune of meeting her.

xxx to mom!

---Monica Forrestall

A Self-portrait of Natalie Forrestall

Tom Forrestall and Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Director, Ray Cronin look at a self-portrait of Natalie Forrestall in his home in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Natalie Forrestall's memorial notice Saturday, March 13th

---Monica Forrestall

Natalie Forrestall Memorial: Remembering mom

Our sweet and loving mother, Natalie Forrestall passed away four short years ago, on March 13th, 2006. The pure love that poured out of mom's big heart for her grandchildren, children and husband of 48 years, Tom Forrestall, and everyone she ever met, was a rare and beautiful thing. We were all so blessed, so very lucky to have such a wonderfully kind woman to call mother. Beyond her endless capacity to love everyone, mom was a talented painter in her own right. Mom earned her own degree in Fine Arts from Mount Allison University, as well as a teaching degree from a teacher's college in Oromocto and, luckily for dad, had a brilliant mind for buisness. Our mother was an art teacher to elementary aged children in the early years of her marriage, helping to support the family. Mom gave up her painting career to manage our father's career and the busy household of six children and umpteen pets, so dad could focus on his painting.
Here are a few photos of mom with members of her loving family who will never, ever forget her.

Tom Forrestall and Natalie Forrestall holding Max Forrestall Schuss at Three Oaks in July 2002. 

My brother, Frank Forrestall recently found an old video on his computer with footage of mom doing some gardening with his eldest daughter Gwen. Frank writes about that special moment in time below.

"I've attached a few stills from the video. It was another of those special moments with Gwen that mom loved so much (like their time baking together). Mom loved those moments and always found little projects for them to do together. In this video they were re-potting some plants together; I don't think Gwen was of any practical assistance, but I don't think mom was seeking perfection in the task, she found perfection in the moment."

Natalie Forrestall gardening with her grandaughter Gwen Forrestall in Dartmouth.

Natalie Forrestall planting flowers in her hanging plant holders for the porch, with her grandaughter Gwen.

My sister, Renee Forrestall (below with mom) was touched by the gardening photos of mom, and had this memory of gardening with mom to share, "I love the gardening pictures! I loved that mom would put on her striped overalls for even the slightest of gardening work! I remember the first garden we put in together on the side of the house when I was seventeen - it was pouring rain - torrential - but we went ahead and did it anyway! We were transplanting daffodils that we had found growing deep in the woods at 3 Oaks. We dug a massive trench the length of the house - right under the down spout of the gutter! Never mind we had no clue what we were doing! We laughed so much - all the daffodils kept bobbing up and floating around like little boats. We kept dashing around the 20 foot trench trying to anchor the bulbs to the muddy bottom of the rushing stream we had created. The problem was we had hundreds of bulbs!

We always had a good chuckle when the daffodils would come up every year. They still come up - I always think of this fun time with mom  when I see daffodils." 

My brother Curphey didn't have any photos to share, but writes "Still miss her, still speechless."

Renee Forrestall and mom, Natalie Forrestall August 4th.

Family gatherine in Karsdale, Nova Scotia Summer 2005. From left, back row: Monica Forrestll, Winkie deVries, Kitty Forrestall, Tom Forrestall, Miles DeVries, Natalie Forrestall, David DeVries (back) Nick Matyas (front), Nicoline DeVries . From row, from left: Pierson Matyas, Max Forrestall Schuss, David Matyas, Jack Matyas (holding) Duff.

Natalie Forrestall, Tom Forrestall and Prime Minister Trudeau. 

Back row, from left: Curphey Forrestall, Anne and Bess Forrestall, Natalie Forrestall, Marie Webb, Tom Forrestall, Rachel Forrestall, William Forrestall. Sitting, from left: Jamie, Gwen Forrestall, Jasmine Forrestall, Diana and Jessica and Frank Forrestall, (foreground) Millie Webb, Renee Forrestall.

Natalie and Tom Forrestall.

William Forrestall, Natali Forrestall, Monica Forrestall, Tom Forrestall in front of the family home in Fredericton, New Brunswick on University Avenue where we all grew up as children.

Fam photo taken in Point Pleasant Park in 1977. From left: Curphey Forrestall, William Forrestall, Natalie Forrestall, Tom Forrestall, Renee Forrestall, Frank Forrestall, Monica Forrestall, Jack Forrestall.

Family brunch at The Digby Pines (mom's fav place to go in the summer) in Summer 2005. From left: Tom Forrestall, Natalie Forrestall, Max Forrestall Schuss, Monica Forrestall.

Background from left: Kitty Forrestall, Renee Forrestall, Natalie and Tom Forrestall. Front: Monica Forrestall (holding) Marie Webb, John Distefano at The Farm in the Annapolis Valley.

At The McDonald Museum in Middleton, Nova Scotia for a family exhibition opening. Back row, from left: Diana and Jessica Forrestall, Jaimie, Jack Forrestall, Natalie Forrestall, Tom Forrestall, Frank Forrestall. Front row, from left: Gwen Forrestall, Renee Forrestall, Kristin Grimson, Nico, Kitty Forrestall, Matthew Grimson. 

Nat & Tom Forrestall  (above)

Tom and Natalie Forrestall, Renee Forrestall and her eldest daughter Millie Webb.

Above: From left: Marie Webb on her uncle Curphey Forrestall's lap, Natalie and Tom Forrestall, Millie Webb, Monica Forrestall on Christmas morning in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The girls are wearing matching burgundy velvet dresses mom bought for them. 

When mom was in the hospital, Millie and Renee smuggled in Millie's pet rabbit Humbug, because mom loved her own pet rabbit so much, who passed away. Mom's cranky rabbit was only sweet for her.

 

Natalie and Tom Forrestall on their wedding day, Friday, September 13th.  

---Monica Forrestall

Tom Forrestall's podcast interview on Tapestry radio show on CBC Radio Feb 21st

Our dear father Tom Forrestall talks about the spirituality he finds when he paints. The peace and optimism he finds working in his studio that overlooks the Halifax harbour which is "always a wonder to me".
And when asked what would heaven look like if he painted it, he said it would be dominated by our wonderful mother Natalie Forrestall.

Here is the interview, dad's part begins at 35:00 minutes of a 48 minute show.

http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/tapestry_20100222_27887.mp3

--Monica Forrestall


Tom Forrestall (above)  in his studio, his sanctuary of peace, working on a painting "Deer and Church" of a rural church in Karsdale, Nova Scotia.