A gift for my dad

For today’s Gallery, Tara Lara wanted us to take a photo of something we’d made. Something I don’t really do very much of any more is draw and paint, but at one time it used to be my big thing, particularly pop art. So I decided to show you the big birthday card I made for my dad.

At the time I was a student, and didn’t have any money, which is why I decided to make a gift for my dad. There’s a reason I decided to decorate the card with Disney characters, and that’s because during the War when there was an air raid on my grandfather used to keep my dad and his brothers and sister entertained by drawing Disney characters for them. This is the reason, I’m certain, that Dad made sure my sister and I fell in love with Disney right from when we were little, and why Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck have always been so special to us.

So on the front I drew Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, and inside, Piglet and Rabbit. And then painted them with watercolours, which somehow haven’t faded after all these years.

My dad was absolutely thrilled with his birthday card. Six months later, he died, so this was the last thing I ever gave him, and it was returned to me to keep. Like the Elvis tape he made me to take away to university in America, I will treasure it always.