Tessa caught me off guard yesterday while we were in the art studio. I was working on a new piece specifically for a silent auction benefiting Seeds of Africa (whom work in Ethiopia!). There she was....admiring the "Message from Swaziland" series. The paintings are right at her level (because of the angle of my studio wall space), which really seems perfect now that I think about it.
There she was looking into the eyes of the children that had touched me so deeply in Swaziland. I can remember clearly while in Swaziland that when I looked into the eyes of those beautiful children that I was thinking of our daughter who was on her way to us. I had so many questions...had she even been conceived? Was her birth family living in similar circumstances to what I was seeing? I thought about her and asked myself questions that were unanswered around every corner. I looked into those eyes and wondered.... and now I have the answers. full circle. And here I was creating a new piece of art specifically with images of those very eyes I had looked into 2 years ago and at the same time our sweet girl was looking back with wonder and curiosity. full circle moment.
Here is the piece
"See"
It is loaded with symbols....the postage stamps are a literal symbol of sending you a message "postcard" from Africa. "See Hope" is scratched in by the butterflies, which have fiddleheads painted on them....my favorite symbol of hope. (As fiddleheads bloom early in the spring after the winter...I also named my website fiddlehead art for this reason). Then "see us" is scratched into the boys forehead....and "see Africa" is scratched in next to the antique map of Africa. This piece is all acrylic and mixed media with paper, clay imprints (in the corner) and photo image transfers of the eyes.
I am so incredibly grateful to be able to create art I love and be able to give back through it.
Heres hoping it generates some $$$ for Seeds of Africa this weekend!
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