My avatar is Jack Vettriano's "In Thoughts Of You", for a few reasons. First and foremost, I love a lot of Vettriano's work. Secondly, this particular painting feels so familiar to me, almost as though I were the woman sitting in the chair looking out of the window. And lastly, it's a metaphor for so many moments in my life; perhaps you noticed the draped chair she is in, and the black attire; someone has passed away and she is leaving the home that was theirs. The room is empty save for the few items pictured, covered, and she sits staring out the window as she sips tea. Thinking of the one who has passed away, before she leaves.
Roads ahead... paths behind... this painting is a metaphorical crossroads, and I often find myself at various crossroads where I stop to consider things.
I contemplate where I've been, where I want to be, and what roads may take me there. And I try to think of every aspect; my own and those of others.
I am waiting at one right now, as a matter of fact. Sitting in this chair, sipping my tea and looking out of the window before me... deciphering that which is not yet clear to me.
Considering
Examining
Wondering
Wandering...
Found...
And lost again, In Thoughts of You.
Just a few of my favorite Vettriano works:
The Singing Butler
Dance Me To The End Of Love
The Billy Boys
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29 comments:
This is a nice blog. I like it!
Trusting you will know where to go from here and what to take with you.
Thanks for the lovely writing and introducing me to a little of the painter's work.
Scarlett,
That painting is you.
You of the adventuring soul and the giving heart are always searching, but unlike many, you usually find what it is you seek.
Now excuse me while I go for a run to try to erase your image from my conciousness so I can work. :-)
rel
Beautiful post. Enjoy your journey.
x
I had always been fascinated with your profile picture.
You have thrown a beautiful light on the same.
Btw,thanks for blogrolling.You are blogrolled too :)
contemplate!
then go do.
:-)
paint and do
and paint
an
do
and contemplate
some more.
and there goes your life...
:-)
oh happy contemplative day...
Ah, the crossroads, Ms Scarlett. Big or small, some hard to see, some plainly obvious. Keep looking ahead. That is wise. But not too far though. If you look too far ahead, you will be looking at the back of your own head.
Pcsolotto - Fair & stern warning, no soliciting here.
Hello Kay!
Vettriano is a wonderful artist. My favorites of his include "The Singing Butler", "Dance Me To The End of Love" and "The Billy Boys". Glad that you like it!
I don't step forward without considering the step carefully, so things will be as they should.
Dear Rel,
It is me, it's uncanny how close it is. You made me laugh... I *do* usually find what I seek because while I am an adventuring soul, I am also a very determined and fairly stubborn soul... and I get what I want, within reason. Thank you for your kind words.
You'd be out running anyway, it's an inherent passion of yours. ;o)
Hey Girl!
I will, and thank you for the smile.
Sameera!
We have to talk, you need to open up comments on your posts... I *love* what you write, how your whole blog looks, and there isn't any place to tell you that! ;o)
It's so great! I loved everything about it. Excellent work, lady.
Isn't Vettriano something else?
Two of his paintings are hanging in my bedroom, but sadly, this isn't one of them.
Hello SomePinkFlowers!
Very nice to see you! I've been meaning to pick up my paint brushes lately.
You and I paint with more than brushes though, don't we?
We paint with words, with cameras, with every resource around us, with our imaginations and unique perspectives.
The visions and moments that you paint are some of my favorites!
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
David!
What a nice surprise, very glad to see you here.
Yes... I agree, looking ahead too far is not a good idea. A step and a day at a time.
That's the way to wander, carefully and with purpose. Dance with abandon, but wander carefully and with purpose... else one could easily become lost.
I'm on my way over to see what you've been up to lately.
Miss Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Hey dear.Thanks so much,I feel exactly the same about this space :)
I didn't have comment moderation till until a few months back,and I am kind of apprehensive about turning it off after a bad experience.I would love to talk to you too!Please mail me if you can,the id is in my profile.
You know,till I read this post,I did not know that this picture is not a photograph!He sure is a great contemporary artist :)
i'm also into those things. care to give some advice?
Hope you take the right turning...not as in the right turning being the opposite of left but the right turning as in the opposite of wrong...if you see what I mean...I don't now, I've given myself a headache!
Sameera,
I found your comments, thank heaven.
Or haven.
Ha ha ha!!!!!
sorry.
Anyway, yes, I will email you.
Yay!
Lotto... perhaps you missed my opening comment which warned against soliciting. You would be wise to heed it.
Jon!
I'm right in line with what you are saying... right on track, right on cue... right on brother.
Have some tea, your headache will lessen.
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
nice paintings all.
its been over a year now since we've met.
i interviewed you june 13, 2007.
hello my dear friend.
~chesca
I've often seen "The Singing Butler" and admired it, but didn't know whose work it was. I'm so much better informed now!
I hope you get things sorted out satisfactorily at your present "crossroads".......
P.S. Going from the sublime to the ridiculous --- I'll try to devise some simple instructions for papersticks!
Hey lovely addition of some of his works to the post.
They all carry an unmistakable signature of romanticism!
Chesca,
Hey lady! Very nice to see you. Has it been just over a year? Wow... but you know, somehow it seems longer, in a wonderful, timeless way.
Hello and hugs to you, sweet friend!
Molly,
The Singing Butler is probably his most well known piece.
YAY!!! Papersticks!!!! I am *SO* excited.
Thank you!
Sameera,
Well, it was an afterthought, I should have added them to begin with.
A lot of his work is romantic, from an era and time when things were like that. But! Some of his work borders on pure sex, it can be a bit shocking... you'd have to google it and look around a little to find it, it isn't popular art.
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
life is full of transitions. they are the atoms.
Absolutely right Pearl. I hadn't thought of it that way, but that is exactly right.
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Bella...first of all, I am so glad that you gave us the background on the image you use for yourself. I actually always thought it was a photograph and not a painting. I have always loved the contemplative and serene quality of it. I never saw its melancholy quality, until you pointed it out. It is amazing how art speaks differently to everyone. Like you, I am drawn to images of women, sitting in contemplations, usually sipping a coffee or tea, obviously pondering something deep. I have a similar image in one of my scrapbooks.
Crossoads? Everyday is a crossroad, isn't it? I can't give you any better advice than these other readers have given you in their wise comments. However, I will say this: you are exactly where you should be. (OH, and whatever path you choose to take, don't second guess yourself. Go for it fully.)
Big hugs my friend, Jeni
Hey Jeni!
I can't tell you how many people have told me that they thought it was me in a photo, aside from what has been said here.
Everyone sees art differently, it's one of the best things about people and art.
I have every confidence that you are right, the road that I am on is exactly the road that I should be on, and it will continue to be so.
Enormous hugs to you too, my dear lady.
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
I loved reading this and Vettriano is one of my favourites too.
Yes the first picture is familliar, I have a photo of a similar empty room which used to be my home years ago.
I must take time (you reminded me) to sit and plan, think, construct my next path. At the moment it is all done whilst running and that doesn't feel so good.
How random, but of course not, that I had chosen that painting to accompany my "Looking Back on 2007" post...perhaps it was your silent urging from many miles away that led me to it?
I hadn't known his work before, but I'm loving every single piece of it now.
I hope the path to choose becomes abundantly clear when it is time :)
Hi Suburbia!
A photo of an empty room... that sounds lovely. Full of possibility.
Hope things slow down enough for you to look around!
Hello Sognatrice!
I'm not surprised at all, of course.
Great minds think alike and all that, right?
Do a Google Images search of his work... I've spent fine hours looking at what he does with a brush. Takes me to times and places that I dream of living in, somewhere in the back of my mind.
The road will take me where it may... I suppose. I'm very glad that you are on it, though.
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Technically, Jack Vettriano is a bit crap. I love his paintings because there are a million stories woven into the set piece. I think he is a writer's artist!
Hello Miss Minx,
If he's crap, it's holy crap.
I love the stories he weaves into his paintings... so many perspectives.
And, my friends are good about humoring me when I wax rhapsodic about what I see in the paintings.
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
How wonderful you've become.
Never heard of Vettriano til now, but you are right, he is very good. The dancers and butlers with umbrellas was my fave.
I pondered the meaning of your avatar when I first encountered your blog, but sadly, as I am a pretty shallow person, all I concluded was that looked pretty cute.
Mr. Cupcake!
I was just thinking the other day, that it's been too long since I was over to visit, and much too long since you were here.
How delightful to hear from you again!
And, thank you, I shall endeavor to live up to that.
Hi Clowncar,
A lot of people have told me that they thought it was a photo of me.
Might as well be, but my hair is a little longer.
The Singing Butler is my most favorite Vettriano piece, because even though there is a terrible storm approaching, and everything else in the picture is getting blown to Kansas, nothing touches the man and woman, they are oblivious to it, safe in their own world, together; untouchables, and she is barefoot in formal attire... simplicity and elegance in one.
There are many reasons I love it, but these are the biggest.
Glad you like it!
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
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