Focal Point

'Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear' is the message you see when you look at the side-view mirror of your car. It's amazing how our vision works. Sometimes we get clarity. Sometimes we are fooled. Sometimes it takes time to focus. It all depends on your focal point.

That is the case with an unusual work of art that hangs in our music room. Up close, you're not sure what you are looking at. It has irregular splotches of different shades of brown, similar to the old sepia photos from the 1880s. Art aficionados might look at it and say, 'This is a fine example of the grisaille painting technique.'
What is it, you ask? It's a watercolour painting of Monique & Rick, created from an early photo taken in the 1980s. It was painted by Ottawa-based musician and artist Arthur II (pronounced as 2) over 15 years ago. Rick doesn't remember exactly what inspired Arthur to create it, but he does recall that he loved working with watercolour during the wilder period of his life.

What I remember is that Rick would occasionally drive Arthur home to Wakefield, Québec, because he had missed the last bus. Of course, this meant a few more hours of jamming and chatting until the wee hours of the morning. Meanwhile, I would be at home wondering and worrying. There was no way to reach him. We didn't have cellphones then. Rick had forgotten to call and let me know about his change of plans. So when I look at this painting, I remember the aftermath when Rick got home. He apologized. I forgave him. We moved on.
What else is so unusual about this painting? You need to see it to understand. Click on the image and view it as you would normally view a photo on your computer. Like the side-view mirror of your car, you look at your monitor, and you are not quite sure what you are looking at. Your eyes may be fooling you, so you squint, tilt your head to the left, then to the right, and you try to focus. You might even ask yourself — is this art or an eye exam?
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Now slowly move back while still facing your monitor. Then, inch by inch, you gradually notice the painting becoming sharper. The irregular brownish splotches slowly morph into human forms. A man. A woman. It looks like they are performing — you can make out a guitar. Now you recognize the objects in the mirror of your mind. It is Rick and Monique. You are the eye of the beholder, and you have found your focal point. You are now focused on two people in a work of art, and it just might intrigue you to want to know more about their story.