This one is inspired by both the Bellamy River (the tidal river I live by) and Sara Teasdale, a Pulitzer prize winning poet in the early 1900s.
The words written down and sealed as the first layer are:
"I came from the sunny valleys
And sought for the open seas,
For I thought in its gray expanses
My peace would come to me....
But the thirsty tide ran inland,
And the salt waves drank of me,
And I who was fresh as the rainfall
Am bitter as the sea"
So much meaning in this poem for me, about nature, change, loss, and, most importantly, being consumed as a woman in our society. There's a lot to unpack in the poem--so much so, that I might need more paintings to express it all. But for now, what came through was Teasdale's gentle nature and bewildered sorrow at her place in the world. I used shimmering gold and silver inks, as well as lighter layers of paint in the upper 2/3 to show the initial hope and optimism of the poem, and the dark, heavier colors toward the bottom to show the ominous "pull" of giving oneself over, even when there's no longer a choice.
I wish the photo could accurately show how the metallics make the painting and layers glow. This one moved me to tears as I painted. Something about the delicacy of Teasdale's voice has wrapped itself around my heart.
