Thick as Thieves - the full story
Definition: (of two or more people) very close or friendly, sharing secrets
The title could not be more accurate. Okay folks I have a confession to make, there is more to the story of this piece then I originally let on. It's time for you to know the story behind the story.
The beginning inspiration to do a parent and child piece began when my sister became pregnant with her first child. I really wanted to do a piece that would capture the love that happens in hopes that it would go above my nieces nursery with dreams of "Auntie Crystal did this for you" being said to the newest addition of our expanding family.
With waiting commissions to finish, no reference images that really spoke to me and a due date that waits for no one, the time passed by and the nursery was decorated and no piece was created. Over a year passed until I found a reference image in Pixabay that I thought "oh yes! I could make that work" I downloaded the image, fiddled around in Photoshop and tacked the image on my inspiration/to do board which sits right beside my drawing table.
Then a mini surprise happened and Chad and I became pregnant with our first child. Holy crap! I mean I've seen the love that parents feel in watching my friends and my family grow their own families but to feel that love personally, to sing and talk to your belly every day, to experience the happiness and joy along with so many other emotions that coarse through you daily. To feel warm every day, especially as a thin human who is always freaking cold to finally be just absolutely warm all the way through, it was incredible. It was something with all my heart I would love to experience again. And yes, you read that right, I used the word 'was'. For this little baby was not meant to be and shortly after we experienced all of this surging joy we then felt the stabbing heart ache of losing a child.
Hospital visits and a surgery later, it was then time to recover in heart, body and soul. As life has it you just keep on going. You take one breath after another, you wade through the emotions and although filled with heart ache you remember the love. The love that is felt soul deep. The love that I poured into every single art stroke of this breath taking piece. Thick as Thieves is much a dedication as it is a celebration of the love that mothers,parents and grandparents experience.
I glance at the piece that I placed near my laptop to assist me in typing, thinking "Holy crap" with every glance. I am awestruck by the experience and so incredibly proud of this piece.'Thick as Thieves' is a story of love.