Open Arms

Day 13 of the 30-in-30 challenge.

A piece about longing, pain, and not having closure.

The two women are the same person but at different points of her life.

She is remembering herself as a young woman waiting for her love to come home. This person has just left, but a presence is still perceptible: While she is cleaning around the armchair, she seems to be communicating with someone sitting in it.

I thought the relationship between the woman and the armchair was quite interesting, so I made the armchair the main element of the scenery. The chair looks inviting and comfortable, and it has arms. Though I felt that this woman would never sit down in this chair because it was already taken.

By the way, in the original image, the old woman was weaving a basket; so I gave her some letters to hold instead. Window and view are from different sources.

 "Open Arms"
Mixed media: acrylics, storybook clippings, ink, on cradled wood panel, 8" x 10"