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So this one has a bit of a story to it. A few weeks ago I was asked to house sit for a week. The house was pretty beautiful and very hippyish. the first thing that stood out was this painting in the living room. It had the word "silhouette" written on the back but no artist. As soon as I saw it I felt scared. It stopped me right in place with its off putting gaze. It haunted my dreams even. something about it spoke to me in a way I didn't really know how to describe other than childhood fears. I'd walk past it every night and couldn't help but stare. On the very last night I was cleaning up when the owners of the home arrived earlier than expected. I thanked them for the food they left me and let them know how much I loved their home, I was about to leave when i remembered the painting. When I asked her about it she looked a bit upset and then told me this story: "I've run a very small yoga class for many years and occasionally I receive some gifts, as a thank you. That painting means alot to me, the man who painted it took my class but couldn't pay when the time came due to medical bills he said. I wasn't going to charge him but he insisted that he could give me one of his paintings. He brought me to his house and it was a complete mess. paintings and hospital equipment everywhere. He had lost his wife of 20 years, a few months prior to cancer so I didn't want to pry. We looked around until I found this painting that had fallen behind a shelf. It stood out to me so much. He gave me a sad smile, but said he'd love to give that one to me." She brought it home later and showed her daughter who knew this man and his wife and told her it looks like his wife. But dead. While this woman was telling me this story I realised what it was that struck me so much. It was loss. It's such an unsettling and lonely photo. I've experienced a lot of loss in my childhood, and this face captures the bittersweet sorrow of love and loss.
