The thoughts for the creation of this painting took form after "Stevie" Orr had a fall fracturing her hip. Stevie dismissed this episode as trivial, don't make a fuss !, I'm not ill, and so on.
She, being of a strong will, fought to keep her independence.
This challenge became an obsession, taking her close to the edge of
sanity, reasoning and rationality.
For 4/5 weeks my wife Kathleen and I experienced a complete
transformation in Stevie's personality and demeanour.
We all battled on, we three persevered and finally broke down
the barriers.
"Stevie" accepted the inevitable and settled down, discarding all the baggage along the way. Her bedroom became her centre of operations, H.Q. !
On reflection the preceding 4/5 weeks were a nightmare, but what we all learnt, felt and experienced created a relationship which blossomed into something incredible.
This painting is a tribute to "Stevie's" courage, charm, personality, tenacity and humility.
"Stevie" was a very intelligent, complex, human being with a wonderful outlook for life, helping others was always at the forefront of her every action.
She will be sadly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her. The painting is abundant with symbolism and metaphors, pertaining to mental torment and complexity, with the will to survive, independence, physical abnormality, love, trust, beliefs, inner self and so on
The title was her favourite saying, and she said it several times a day to my wife and I, but even if she never said it we knew subconsciously we were a part of her thoughts.
I seem to be rambling so I will just say "Watch this space". The woman was a "Rock" !
Strong personalities are also a form of attractor, they draw in and inspire other people, for good or for ill. By distorting the world around them, they can catalyse new reactions, new modes of behaviour and open up new possibilities.
Much of what we see around us, in the newspapers, or on TV, reflects the negative aspects of our world. It is news because it contrasts with the more common, positive, background of our lives. Without a positive attitude to life we achieve nothing, depression sets in and we feel useless. Yet a little inspiration, a little encouragement, can fire up our enthusiasm afresh and lead us to view life in a completely new, positive way. When we are positive all things are possible, our dreams come true, we are content with our lives...
In Stevie's words: Isn't it nice to be us !