Lost and Found

Taking Steps Forward

"An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, prisoner of style, prisoner of reputation, prisoner of success" -Henri Matisse

"This painting is the well-known 'Christina's World'. The painter, Andrew Wyeth was inspired by the sight of his wife, who was suffering from degenerative muscular disorder, picking blueberries while crawling through her fields like 'a crab on a New England shore'".

Observing the horrified look on some, and pitiful on others, Vincent smiled to himself.

"I know what you all are thinking. Some feel sad for the wife, and others may be a bit alarmed by the comparison, however, you should see the deeper meaning behind this painting to truly understand what Wyeth wants to get to. This painting is his way of showing that although his wife's will to continue her journey of life may look hopeless to some people due to her physical limitations, she by no means is restricted spiritually to strive to achieve all she wants in life."

The group of high school students that had come over to the studio for a field trip were mesmerized by the paintings which had meanings just as beautiful as they looked. The students gave a round of applause to Mr. Laurier, who from that moment became "an official employee and member of the Ivy Bloom family" as Kathy put it after observing his splendid performance with the students from the trip.

The weather was just like the pumpkin spice latte V ordered at the Starbucks around the corner of the Townsquare near Ivy Bloom. From fresh green grass and bright sun, to cooling windy temperatures yet warming tree colors. The weather was beautiful and the scenery even more at Bibury. Along with the change of the season, V's life, too, had changed. The new and fresh feeling of his arrival had turned into a homely and cozy feeling, he felt as if he had been here his whole life. He admired not having to watch out for paparazzi among the busy streets and crowded subways of New York, instead he was able enjoy the breeze while painting and reading to his heart's content. In this simplistic routine, however, there was always still one thing that kept him on the tip of his toes every, single, day.

A new note in the book.

As soon as he clocked out of the studio, he would run over to the bookstore to the same table, sit in the same chair, in front of the same book. He would write out all of his feelings, experiences, and highlights of his day and ask anything he wanted, eagerly waiting for the perfect response he always received. They went from talking about very broad things like "how would you define happiness" to more personal things like their struggles, their fears, and soon enough, their insecurities. The more they talked, the more they learned about, not only each other, but about themselves.

He opened the book and wrote:

"Like you said, the action itself is the biggest step for change, and I've made it. I'm finally living my dream. Spending each day immersing myself in a world of art and looking forward to your replies each day. I've always wanted this, but something would stop me from leaving my family, my responsibilities, and the weight of society's expectations. I used to feel blocked inside this box, like a bird inside a cage you could say, except that I always had the key to the lock, just never dared to open it.

Even after I arrived here, all of it remained inside of me, and some, still, does but I have to thank you for giving me this outlet to release me and encouraging me to get out of my cage."