Sarah stood paint splattered in front of her newest canvas. Wiping a hand
over her nose, she left a blueish smudge there, but remained completely
oblivious to the fact as she reached upwards to rub in a little more of the
color into the top right hand corner of the piece. She had been working on
it for the better part of the day. Since she had woken that morning, it had
been like she had not been able to get the image left in her head out
again. There had seemed no other logical way but to paint it out, but so
far, all that had led to was this insatiable sense of drive that had left
the image stuck in her mind even firmer than when she had begun this.
Not that she minded, however. Quite the opposite! She hadn't had anything like this coming forth from her in the longest time, and it felt, well, quite liberating! She felt free, like nothing else but her art was able to make her feel.
With the back of her wrist, she wiped stray hairs falling out from the haphazard ponytail she had irritably tied a couple of hours ago when her hands and fingers had become far too grimy to continue pushing back hair behind her ears. Without realizing it, she had gone back to pushing hair behind her ears and she slowed down in her driven artistry, and stepped back a little to view the result thus far.
It was every bit as beautiful as she had seen it in her mind's eye. Of course, there were little imperfections that her artist's eye was picking up on, but that was life. That was nature; that little imperfection that spoke out and said 'I've been put here just because I am and not for any greater purpose'.
The leaves fallen from the spidery trees in the background were the perfect examples of that. Behind them, from about three quarters up the page to the very top, the horizon was the painted around the trees. The ground towards the bottom of the canvas was almost colorless, except for the hints of color here and there that hinted that the present wasteland could possibly become oh so much more.
Sarah loved it. Looking at it, she saw symbolized the future of an ignorant Earth in decades to come. She was almost finished already, but the finishing touches had to wait until the next morning, when the layers of paint already painted were dry. Detail would play the most important statement in the picture, and Sarah wasn't about to ruin it's potential by rushing it.
Determined, she turned away from the canvas. No matter what, she swore, she was done with the painting tonight. Anything else that needed fixing up would still be there waiting for her in the morning the next day. For now. she wondered what her agent would think of her newest work. True, it was quite different to her usual work, but she believed that Caroline would appreciate it. Maybe it would even place in the competition that was coming up at the end of this season. Sarah sighed. The idea of having her work hanging up in a gallery, as was part of the prize offered to those artworks that were placed, was some of the stuff that made up Sarah's nightly dreams.
The other part was made up of something she would never paint. No matter how much the images stained her mind. They were dreams of a well endowed, white haired man with mismatching colored eyes. Sarah smiled grimly to herself as his image was conjured up in her mind once again, close as ever to be called upon. There was not a day that went past that she did not remember what she had been offered those 8 years ago. She had done more than her fair share wondering if it would have been so bad to have given herself totally to him for all that he offered. There was no denying that it had been a great amount!
However, right there was the reason that she appreciated her artwork so much. It was the only thing that she had found in 8 years that had successfully been able to pull her mind out from the dregs of self induced reverie made up of all those could have beens that really couldn't have been.
Come to think of it, there really didn't seem any good reason not to call Caroline up right now and talk to her about her latest work of art. After all, she had Caro's homeline number, and they considered each other friends as well as artist and agent. Sarah's mind was decided. She was going to call Caroline. Maybe even invite her over for a couple of drinks and a private view of her work in progress. After all, it was only those few details that still needed doing. A fair idea of the end piece could be gleaned from what was already up there on the canvas.
Pouring herself a glass of light wine, Sarah picked up the cordless phone and dialed in her friend and agent's number by heart. Waiting on her end of the line as the phone went through its routine ringings, Sarah only hoped that tonight was one of those nights that Caroline was actually home without plans on such short notice.
Not that she minded, however. Quite the opposite! She hadn't had anything like this coming forth from her in the longest time, and it felt, well, quite liberating! She felt free, like nothing else but her art was able to make her feel.
With the back of her wrist, she wiped stray hairs falling out from the haphazard ponytail she had irritably tied a couple of hours ago when her hands and fingers had become far too grimy to continue pushing back hair behind her ears. Without realizing it, she had gone back to pushing hair behind her ears and she slowed down in her driven artistry, and stepped back a little to view the result thus far.
It was every bit as beautiful as she had seen it in her mind's eye. Of course, there were little imperfections that her artist's eye was picking up on, but that was life. That was nature; that little imperfection that spoke out and said 'I've been put here just because I am and not for any greater purpose'.
The leaves fallen from the spidery trees in the background were the perfect examples of that. Behind them, from about three quarters up the page to the very top, the horizon was the painted around the trees. The ground towards the bottom of the canvas was almost colorless, except for the hints of color here and there that hinted that the present wasteland could possibly become oh so much more.
Sarah loved it. Looking at it, she saw symbolized the future of an ignorant Earth in decades to come. She was almost finished already, but the finishing touches had to wait until the next morning, when the layers of paint already painted were dry. Detail would play the most important statement in the picture, and Sarah wasn't about to ruin it's potential by rushing it.
Determined, she turned away from the canvas. No matter what, she swore, she was done with the painting tonight. Anything else that needed fixing up would still be there waiting for her in the morning the next day. For now. she wondered what her agent would think of her newest work. True, it was quite different to her usual work, but she believed that Caroline would appreciate it. Maybe it would even place in the competition that was coming up at the end of this season. Sarah sighed. The idea of having her work hanging up in a gallery, as was part of the prize offered to those artworks that were placed, was some of the stuff that made up Sarah's nightly dreams.
The other part was made up of something she would never paint. No matter how much the images stained her mind. They were dreams of a well endowed, white haired man with mismatching colored eyes. Sarah smiled grimly to herself as his image was conjured up in her mind once again, close as ever to be called upon. There was not a day that went past that she did not remember what she had been offered those 8 years ago. She had done more than her fair share wondering if it would have been so bad to have given herself totally to him for all that he offered. There was no denying that it had been a great amount!
However, right there was the reason that she appreciated her artwork so much. It was the only thing that she had found in 8 years that had successfully been able to pull her mind out from the dregs of self induced reverie made up of all those could have beens that really couldn't have been.
Come to think of it, there really didn't seem any good reason not to call Caroline up right now and talk to her about her latest work of art. After all, she had Caro's homeline number, and they considered each other friends as well as artist and agent. Sarah's mind was decided. She was going to call Caroline. Maybe even invite her over for a couple of drinks and a private view of her work in progress. After all, it was only those few details that still needed doing. A fair idea of the end piece could be gleaned from what was already up there on the canvas.
Pouring herself a glass of light wine, Sarah picked up the cordless phone and dialed in her friend and agent's number by heart. Waiting on her end of the line as the phone went through its routine ringings, Sarah only hoped that tonight was one of those nights that Caroline was actually home without plans on such short notice.