Words Mixed With Images

I never intended to develop my “Quote Paintings” as a series. The funny thing is the original idea I had for a painting that included words hasn’t been done yet. It is still locked in my head. Sometimes my ideas stay there for a while until it is time to put them down. I know exactly what it will look like it just hasn’t come out yet. In the mean time, four others have emerged rather quickly and about eight more are in the beginning stages. The first one I actually committed to canvas was the painting “Soulmates”. My quote paintings happen in different stages. Sometimes the image comes to me first and I search for the words that will be married to the image. Other times I have the image and I try to find the perfect words to express what my painting is saying. With “Soulmates” , I had this image I wanted to paint for about six months because I found it to be so real. It is a small moment that happens between a couple, a moment where the man brings his hand around to the lady’s waist and she instinctively places her hand on top of his. It could only last a few minutes, but it does happen, and there is something very sweet about those expressions of affection that go on between two people. Although I loved the hands on their own I wanted to capture the moment in a thoughtful way, find a way to reflect on a feeling or memory...and then it came to me.


One of my favorite books has always been The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. Before the movie version made it mainstream, this book was embedded into my heart for its romantic life long love story. Some may call me a sap but we should just get that out of the way now because I am a romantic and my art and words will reflect that. Besides, one of the main characters name is Allie and she is an artist that stays in love with the same boy her entire life! Can you blame me! Aside from Allie, the other main character is Noah who I actually find more enduring. If you have seen the movie or read the book you know that his life mission was to love Allie. He makes wonderful refrences to his love affair with her but one of my favorites that I will never forget is the one I used on the “Soulmates” painting.

“I am nothing special; of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts, and I’ve led a common life. But I have loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.”

I find this to be one of the most amazing quotes on love. Because love isn’t the extravagant celebrations or the glamorous locations, it is daily, it is unconditional, it is a connection that one feels with another. And that connection is special and rare. Some would say when you find that, you have found your soulmate. The title of the painting comes from a couple different places for me. One is from my own, personal definition of love that I have experienced with my husband. Another is from the book because Allie and Noah exemplify my definition of soulmates. And a final reason would be the image itself, because a moment like that of the hands may be meaningless to some couples but to soulmates, it is the connection that will hold them together forever.