Read this Art!

untitled, acrylic

24 x 12, canvas wrap

So what is going on here?  Read this painting for me; take a minute and tell me the story of this piece.

                                                         

(pause)

OK.  Time is up.  Did you see a story here?  What did you decide had happened in the piece?

(a few versions)

*  my husband: "Obviously the father owl at the top decided it was time to boot the child out of the nest, time for him to fly on his own."

* my son (an expectant father) "OMG, the poor child is obviously running away from the father who scolded him; he is flying to his Mom for comfort and love."

* me (the painter and soon-to-be-grandmother) "The father saw the son slipping from his protective reach and tried, unsuccessfully, to rescue him while the momma owl knows the kid can fly."

Besides announcing that I have a grand-bun-in-the-oven, I share this piece as a great way to illustrate the fact that art does hold a story...but not always the same story for everyone.

I chuckle when I read the erudite lessons on what some famous painter meant to say when he (she) painted a particular piece.  Oh my, were you there, did you discuss it with him (her)?  I much prefer to believe that the story within a piece is truly legit because it can/does mean something different for each viewer.  There in lies the timelessness of art.  What you see in it is true, because you read it based on your fears, life experiences, knowledge of the period and so on.  If there was only one story in a painting wouldn't it soon lose its relevance for the ages?

So my little owl painting surprised me with such a variety of interpretations...because I only saw it from my experience.  But it was fun to hear other meanings...all based on who was doing the reading.

So go forth, enjoy reading paintings and don't worry a whit as to whether or not you got it correct; I assure you, you did!

Whimsically Yours,

Cindy