A Very Close Look

untitled, 2004, oil on canvas, 48 x 38 inches

Sometimes out of nowhere someone comes into your life for a reason. As cliche as that may sound it is the truth. That seems to have been our motto between me and a few new friends in the past couple of months. New friendships that feel right as we live the little moments in life. I believe this motto, but have never experienced it in all its power, but that's until last night. As I lay in bed facing the painting above, alongside a new special person, I was overwhelmed by the things he saw of me in this painting. I will not go into detail about what was said and what is in this painting or in any other of my works, but for the first time in my life someone saw through me without even looking at me. All he had to do was look at an object I had created. Never had I felt so exposed and yet full of joy as he kept talking about what he saw, a "critique" if you want to call it, that went on through the night. A discourse that left me in tears for quite some time. After a few months of not working, full of fear and insecurity about my work, this special someone comes in and takes the veil off me and with deep powerful, yet simple words he made me see that my work does have a voice. All I have to say to him is: THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!