"ten thousand words"

So Saturday afternoon I had the biggest urge to sit down with my acrylics and just get messy. I tell you, there is no greater satisfaction than getting paint all over your clothes and your hands…and of course on the canvas. I like to think of it as earning your badge of honor.

When I sat down on Saturday, I was going to start a little project. I wanted to paint one of my sketches, but I didn’t think I would get that far. In one hand was my sketch, the other hand, a paintbrush…and as time went on, the painting began to evolve into something a little different than what I had planned.

Instead of painting an old man, I ended up with a young man…and a story. I couldn’t help it, I kept painting, and out it came.

Title: Her: “Love me…”
Him: “I wish I knew how to.”
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 8”x16”
Date: January 5, 08


By 6PM I had finished my first painting, and I was stoked to hit up the second one. A painting I like to call “ten thousand words”...based on the old quote “a picture is worth ten thousand words”

Title: “ten thousand words”
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 8”x16”
Date: January 5, 08


Why “ten thousand words”????…because, every element in this painting impacts the meaning of every other element. Therefore, the painting could have an endless amount of stories….

How did this come about? It began when I simply painted the top of the canvas red. No biggie, I did it to add some color to the layout.

However, as the painting dried…it started to look a little gruesome, like blood. It dawned on me then, this simple background would now impact the outcome of the entire painting. I’ll be honest, it stumped me, I mean what would I add next?…What would do justice to this background? I sat there, staring at the canvas for a while longer before I realized what needed to happen. So piece by piece, ideas came to mind, and everything fell into place. So, “what does the rabbit mean?”…oh, “and the shaped puddle?”

Instead of filling up this page with explanations and meanings, I will leave it up to you to figure it out....after all, that's why it's titled “ten thousand words.” The story is in the eyes of the beholder. Yes, I did find it a little disturbing putting it all together (and I am sure my mom won’t be pleased about it…and no mom, I won’t take it down.)…but, I had to complete it, to see where it was going.

I hope you enjoy!

Oh, the reward to myself for being so diligent Saturday night? It was to go the ROM on Sunday. I figured I would get there a little after it opened...yup...45 min line to get in....the picture says it all, a lineup outside and inside....lame. Needless to say, Sunday was spent in a coffee shop. My home away from home.

Koray (Core-EYE) Salih