Words and pictures

"I'm learning to live close to the lives of my friends without ever seeing them. No miles of any measurement can separate your souls from mine."

John Muir

(Best viewed enlarged)

I'll not deny that I've not exactly been friends with this piece all week. It was one of those paintings that started off so well with plenty of promise. But promises were broken, words were had and even little tantrums showed their faces.

It is my entry to Inspiration Avenue's words challenge and I so wanted it to be special. This was opportunity to celebrate in words and picture the friendships I've made both within this group and in the wider world of Blog, for while we never get the chance to sip a coffee or a glass of wine or nibble on a biscuit together, you're still my friends. You're my creative joists holding me up and keeping me going. I can't tell you how much your support means to me.

The idea behind the piece was to illustrate the quote above that really brought to life the nature of these online friendships. We may be scattered across the globe, but oftentimes I think you're standing in the arty mess next to me or reading over my shoulder as the words pour forth.

What you can't see, because they are now hidden beneath so many layers of paint, are photocopies of letters, notes and paper gifts sent to me in the mail by my fellow bloggers. It's a shame that they disappeared but I know they're there, making up the foundation of the painting - a most important role to play.

So, I finally finished it today after hours of work. I think that perhaps it was a little over-ambitious. I mean three faces, two of them 3/4 profile. What was I thinking of? I've struggled with most creative things this week and this was no exception. Each face ended up with so many layers of paint that they are practically 3D and they had more hair colour changes than Lady GaGa!

Still, this will have to do. I wasn't entirely happy with the end result, but as they say... It's the thought that counts!

Mixed media on acrylic paper. Acrylics, inks, pen, prismacolour pencils, collage, stamps, distress ink, sweat and tears....