Sunday, May 30, 2010

far away

she is so close

and yet
so very
far away

she sees the game
and plays it

"i see you"

she sees me not
but see me she will
and so
i accept her knowing

knowing
that it isn't me
she sees
at all

16 comments:

Elisabeth said...

There is afar away look in her eyes, Steven and a wistfulness in the way she holds her scarf with one hand and shades her eyes with the other.

Kay said...

..on the other side of the computor screen...here we are peering in at your world....

Dave King said...

Great - minimalist Betjeman!

Bee said...

This does look a bit like a game of peek-a-boo. Thanks for introducing me to the artist; I love portraiture.

You might enjoy looking at these photographs: http://www.spudballoo.com/2010/05/the-five-beautiful-faces-of-anna/

They look very much like the child's face of the woman in this painting. Almost spookily so.

steven said...

hi elisabeth - her face is filled with stories. steven

steven said...

kay - so that's what you all look like!!! steven

steven said...

thanks dave!!! steven

steven said...

hello bee! thankyou for the link. steven

Aleks said...

May I ?
Mindful

Every day I see or hear something
that more or less kills me with delight, that leaves me like a needle in the haystack of light.
It was what I was born for -
to look, to listen,
to lose myself
inside this soft world -
to instruct myself over and over
in joy, and acclamation.
Nor am I talking about the exceptional, the fearful, the dreadful, the very extravagant -
but of the ordinary, the common, the very drab, the daily presentations.
Oh, good scholar,I say to myself, how can you help but grow wise
with such teachings as these -
the untrimmable light of the world,
the ocean's shine, the prayers that are made out of grass?

By Mary Oliver

Thank you for this beautiful,beautiful post!
Aleksandra :)

Barry said...

She certainly looks playful, Steven. A lovely face.

Tess Kincaid said...

So close. So close, and yet so far. Beautiful and mysterious post, Steven.

Karena said...

Really lovely Steven. The image is divine in it's innocence.

Karena
Art by Karena

steven said...

aleks - thankyou for the beautiful mary oliver poem. i believe that the world is a simple place. when seen simply. steven

steven said...

barry she certainly does! i'm always left wondering what the real person behind the portrait was like, what their life was like and what they experienced. steven

steven said...

willow - she is very much so - i think it's really fascinating how artists choose to protray their modesl. the look on their faces says so much and then so much is hidden away. have a lovely evening at the manor. steven

steven said...

hi karena - there's a rich innocence, an informed simplicty about this painting that i really like. almost coy but not quite that worldly to suggest anything otherwise. thanks for dropping by! steven