Painting All Things "INTERIOR"

Yesterday, March 1/2023, I lost my beloved brother, Henrique.

O PAIN.

In mid May of 2021 Henrique contracted Covid. Henrique was a Catholic priest and missionary in Gabon, Africa where he built a thriving mission and served for ten years. The dire virus made straight for his lungs, already exposed to Malaria multiple times, and turned them into stone. He was placed on an ECMO machine and remained so for six months after which, incredibly enough, he was deemed a candidate for a double lung transplant. He underwent a successful surgery on Nov. 21/2021. Then followed fourteen months of recovery with times of hope and times of challenge. He fought like a champ, but succumbed yesterday to a massive heart attack. He died in his sleep.

I also lost my Dad to Parkinsons on October of 2020, and my brother, Antonio, to Covid in December of 2021.

 TOUGH...

As an artist, not only am very visual but attuned to the visual symbolism "written" in the language of life.

So, the Lord "talks" to me that way.

For both my Dad and Antonio I was "given" to paint something symbolic of their persons and lives right before they died. To me, they are priceless keepsakes. I write about the painting attached to my Dad's passing in my post, "Preparing to Fly".

On February 28, unaware of the imminence of Henrique's death and hoping for his dismissal from the hospital possibly the next week, I was looking at the Dandelions in my yard.

I love Dandelions. To me they are a symbol of all of life from the perky golden heads that start in the grass, to the tall stem that reaches for the sky just before haloing into the seed puff. Then, one day, there is the stark stem. The "soul", the flower, has flown and all that is left is the body, the stem. Yet the "soul" leaves behind seeds of goodness.

Was inspired to paint. Found a tiny crystal toothpick holder, placed six golden heads in it and two seed puffs.

Just as I was satisfied with my composition, one of the golden heads fell. I felt my heart "catch", it was so sudden and so quick, but then..."Looks good in the composition", so left it.

Painted away for two hours.  When done, called it, "Here Today, Flown Tomorrow."

Next day, March 1,  I received the news that my brother had passed in the early dawn. Hit me like a bolt of lightning.

Painful, painful day.

Towards evening, I remembered my little painting which I had named, "Here Today, Flown Tomorrow". How apropos was that...!

Inspecting it, I realized that there were five golden flowers in the vase and two seed puffs.

Suddenly, to me, it was like this:

Five flowers: us five sisters.

Two Seed Puffs side by side: two brothers that "flew" and are now together.

Sudden Fallen Flower: unexpected severing of Henrique's life.

Crystal Vase and the crystal reflection of a heart – my parents.

Henrique LOVED his family.

Again, uncannily enough, I had been given "Henrique's painting".