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To restart its vibrant show

Upon entering my studio, formerly known as ‘the cat cave’, Ivory spoke his mind while glancing at the piece that I am currently working on: “So bright, light, cheerful”.  “Surprisingly, right?” I instantly replied, “Very unlike me”.

We laughed as we were both much aware what I was referring to: my murky mood after spending at least six weeks in almost non stop rain and a greyness that drained even a most persistent and surefooted joie de vivre and, mind you, true winter hasn’t even started yet.

“So happy that opposites attract”, I went on, addressing the signature joy with which he spend the same amount of time in tropical heat during his recent travels, exploring new worlds to write about. And I’m not the jealous type, you know.

There’s clearly a concurrence between weather and one’s frame of mind, but to be honest the painter in me has enjoyed the time off from all the work outside more than the gardener in me would like to admit, but even he knows very well that even though we missed a more graduate transition into the dismal darkness of Winter because of these torrential showers, Spring will return with a power that actually needs this episode of hibernation to be able to excel. 

I don’t remember anyone convincing me of this, but I like to believe that the visual elements it requires to restart its vibrant show in a few months are temporarily stored, perhaps in hidden underground vaults, or better yet: embedded deep in the cells of all that will survive the frost by pretending to be murkily dead. All it takes is time. 

Ivory’s right. This is indeed a bright, light and cheerful notion. Very much like me.

Vernal vault
Acrylic, mixed media and collage on cradled wood panel, 40 x 40 cm © 2023 All rights reserved

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