by Bobi Leutschaft Poitras

In November 2019, my cousin in Germany died unexpectedly at the age of 42 while recovering from a broken ankle and collarbone after being struck by a car while on his bicycle.  His death shocked and saddened everyone who knew him and had a terrible impact on his family.

Mirko was a friendly, hilariously funny genius.  Among his many achievements was a 3D printer he was very proud of.  He designed and built it himself, and when he was unsatisfied with a part he received in the mail, he programmed the printer to print itself a more suitable part.  He showed us his printer when my sister and I visited him in 2018. 

This painting is homage to him.  I have a “Flowers for…” series, which began with “Flowers for Marty” after the death of my brother.  I didn’t know what to do for Mirko, as the appropriate thing would have been to print him some flowers.  So, in a way, I did.  The flowers in the painting are Corn Flowers, the national flower of Germany.  The single white rose represents the flowers we sent to the funeral from Canada.  The blue vase and white border are the colours of Bavaria, where he and I are both from.  The title “Blumen für Mirko” is German for “Flowers for Mirko”.

Collectif members, send an image (or a few) of very recent work to cagac.ca@gmail.com with up to 100 words describing what you did, materials used, inspiration, etc. Maybe share how you’re feeling & how creativity helps. We’d like an informative, inspiring show & tell. Writers, send us poetry, lyrics, a short piece or excerpt.