Copied from Originally post on Facebook dated August 23, 2013
It was exactly a year ago today that I unexpectedly lost my big
brother. I miss my brother more than words can say.... Losing someone
you love is never easy, but when their life is taken away at such a
young age, it is that much more difficult. I can talk about all his
achievements and career but anyone can find that information on the
net... Instead I’d like to give some insight about the man, the brother,
the friend, the father who lived behind the paint and thick
brushstrokes.
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| Armand with his son Charles on his shoulders. |
My brother’s life, imitated his art, in almost
every way. From his upbringing in Alexandria, Egypt, all the way to his
death in Montreal August 23rd, 2012, Armand lived a life that was full
and complicated and at times chaotic. Armand devoted a lifetime to the
arts as an artist. He lived as an artist, he painted as an artist, and
he died tragically like an artist. A teacher at heart, he could not have
been more at ease than when he was teaching, advising and speaking to
young aspiring artists. Growing up and throughout my adulthood, I’d
watch my big brother paint with admiring fascination for hours and hours
-studying each stroke and the confidence that emanated from his palette
while his hand swooped across the canvas with grace and dexterity, as
though he were entranced by his own ideas and imagination. But my
brother defined not only pure talent, but true heart and soul as well.
Armand with his daughter Anais at her high school graduation.
Armand was a real character! He loved life and he lived every day,
every moment to the fullest. He lived each day as though it was his last
and he wanted those in his immediate surroundings to share in the joy
he experienced. My brother was very generous, sometimes to a fault. A
gregarious man, there was nothing more exciting for Armand than the
prospect of a gathering. From holidays and parties to suppers with
friends or family- Armand was there and was almost always the life of
the party! There was no such thing as too much of a good thing for
Armand when it came to meeting new friends and celebrating the old. With
his carefree spirit and attitude, Armand believed in the good of
people. He was very trusting - a characteristic which unfortunately got
him mixed up with the wrong people at times. But even in his
disappointment, Armand always had a smile on his face and always seemed
to have a new story to tell. He thrived with passion, humor and style.
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Supper at the home of his parents.  |
One of the things that I most respected about my brother was his
determination to live his life the way he wanted. It this same
determination that led him to become the youngest artist accepted into
the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts at the start of his career. Armand
transcended borders. He defied definitions. Every time a box was
created, he stepped out of it. He marched to a drumbeat that was
entirely in his head- a characteristic that drove my parents crazy!
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| Fun, games and laughter with friends |
Armand loved to travel and explore the world. He traveled since he
graduated high school and visited many countries. But while he was a
traveled at heart, family was still always very important to him. I feel
blessed to have experience the unabashed love and fierce pride he had
for our family. Armand was very proud of our heritage.
 |
| Armand at his hotel room in Armenia, then part of the USSR |
My big
brother was always a big part of my life, and I of his. He was my hero; I
truly looked up to him. My parents were older than most while I was
growing up so Armand served as a second father. He never missed an event
whether it was my birthday, communion, my graduation, my wedding…I
could always count on Armand to be somewhere in the front row, smiling
at me with pride. He affectionately called me his “baby sister”. It gave
me such comfort when he said those words. I can still hear his voice
inside my head…. When I was little, I kept a scrapbook of all my
brother’s achievements. Every time they mentioned him in the newspaper
or magazine, I’d carefully cut it out and meticulously glue it in my
scrapbook. Armand was more than a brother to me. He was a father, a role
model, a hero, a friend, a confidant all wrapped up in one. His example
encouraged me to always take the opportunity to challenge myself, to
never lose sight of my goals, to work with pride, to create with free
abandon and always to explore, learn, and share.
 |
| Armand at his mom's 70th birthday summer at sister Mary's home. |
But tragically
our roles changed on a dreadful day in August 2007, when he fell ill
and was hospitalized. Upon release, Armand was more like a little bird
with a broken wing, than the confident hero I looked up to throughout
childhood. It seemed there wasn’t much hope for improvement.
Nonetheless, I took him into our home, and looked after him, like a
mother more than a sister. I fed him, bathed him dressed him. Armand
taught me never to give up and I wasn’t going to give up on him. With a
great deal of faith, love, patience, perseverance, and a bit of tough
love, we were able to nurse him back to health. Not surprisingly and not
long after his health improved Armand wanted to paint again. The
undeniable passion for art flowed deep through Armand’s veins and there
was no stopping him. It was like watching a phoenix rising from its own
ashes. In fact, Armand talked about making his comeback with a new
collection called just that- “The Phoenix”. But unfortunately his plans
were cut short by his untimely death.
 |
| Armand at his Tupper Street studio |
It’s so sad when a man of
such talent, of such capability for kindness, of such unusual artistic
intelligence, should so suddenly be spirited away just a month before
his 61st birthday- before he could achieve many of the things of which
he was capable……
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| An Eternal Legacy for future generations to cherish. |
One thing I can say for sure, my brother
trailed creativity in abundance. His talent was a gift to the world for
his enduring legacy of art and culture will live on for future
generations to come. His art in all its splendour makes him immortal. He
may be gone but his memory will live to be enjoyed and marvelled by
future generations to come. Armand Tatossian’s art has given a voice to
his life, the lives of others, and in doing so, he is immortalized-
forever.
Sincerely,
Mary Tatossian
“To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family grief’s and joys. We live outside the touch of time.”
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| Armand at my 30th birthday supper with his friend Holly. |
** IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN TO COPY OR REPRODUCE ANY PICTURES OR WRITING CONTAINED IN THIS ALBUM (ESPECIALLY FOR COMMERCIAL USE) WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF MARY TATOSSIAN. **
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