Flopsy, your message is quite clear through both your words and your expressive photo. No need to feel misunderstood, you did an excellent job!! :) Tedz, I'm so touched you think of me with fondness, compared to blondeness. Which I sometimes think I come across as. ;o) Who's getting neked with who??! I've seen from Mike's 'JordyArt' account he already has a head start on the nekedness. Very well done pic, btw. :)

Yep, I was in the same boat as Cynlee. Thanks for the fix. ;)

Geesh, I don't even know you JordyArt/Mike and I feel like giving you a hug. I get the impression a past lover has finally moved on. I can relate to that as can many others. My range of feelings went from relief to be rid of his grief, to sadness over that chapter being closed and trying to figure out what was next. What am I blathering on about?? ;o) Life is such a bloody roller coaster and once you have suffered from a bout of depression it can strike easier the next time. As screwy as our world is there is also a lot of good. That is one way I keep my head above water, I concentrate on the good and try to enjoy life through friends, photography, humour, music and enjoying the outdoors by hiking and getting away from it all. Mind you I live in the bestest place in the world so I'm kinda blessed. ;o) Ok, now I'm sounding like some simpleton who is trying to preach that life is all butterflies and cupcakes and if you just skip through the streets singing you'll be cured. LOL! I guess my point is, grasp life and live it. If things don't go our way to we need to say to hell with for it wasn't meant to be! Far too many of us take life too serious and I refuse to be one! Maybe more of us need to be like Tedz. After all there is no chance he suffers from any type of mental imbalance right? ROFLMAO!! Ok, maybe he isn't the best example. Just kidding!! ;o) HUGS :)

Jordy, I completely appreciate your input and do not take offense to you sharing your opinion. In my post you will note that I am referring to one person and not mentally imbalanced people as a whole. I see your point about not having the capability to analyse the sitution. Yes, 'some' mental health sufferers are so unstable that they do not have the capacity to anyalyse the pros and cons when faced with the desire to take their life. They will simply have the thought and do it with any means they have. However, for the most part, there are many mentally imbalanced people who struggle with suicidal thoughts, sometimes even for years on end, who are fortunately balanced enough to hold on to life. That is more the type of person I envisioned while viewing Flopsy's artistic presentation. As for my insensitive use of mentally disturbed, I sincerely apologize. Never was it my intention to offend you are anyone else. Imbalanced usually is the word I would have chosen, but it escaped me last night in the wee hours. Sorry! I sit here smiling to myself at the irony of this all. That I have somewhat been chastized for my insensitivity regarding mental health sufferers. You see, I am the one who is usually advocating on behalf of those with mental health issues. Having had some education in mental health I have much empathy for the victims of those disorders and hope to one day make it my full time occupation to help mental health consumers and their families. Thank you JordyArt for being a fellow advocater. I'm pleased to know you overcame your struggle, as did I. Ciao :)

Following what you wrote leads me to the following interpretation. It is solely my own fleeting opinion and not meant to offend or be taken personally in any manner.

Through this photo I see a sad story of a struggling person. Here is someone with a mental health disorder causing them to feel trapped within the realms of their own inescapable mind. As the bubbles, the person is desperately trying to stay afloat attempting not to get sucked into following through with his thoughts of sucide. For he knows that would only lead to an even darker place with no return. However, the photo does portray hope for this person. With enough will this person could help to free himself by asking someone else to open the valve to the taps. Hence a cleansing of fresh, new thoughts to help clear his muddled mind.

The symbolism in your photo has so much meaning and depth that I just have to share what I see.

*Mentally disturbed people often are viewed as messed up, which in turn is being symbolized by messy/dirty stains.
*The sink symbolizes the mess in their mind that feels like a pit they are trapped in.
*The bubbles portray the person.
*The blood shows us that the person wants to spill their blood symbolizing death.
*The drain is the dark, irreversible place one would go if they died.
*The taps are self-explanatory.

Thank you so much for sharing this piece with us!!!

Message edited on: 03/05/2005 02:56

Whoa O You are brilliant artist!!

Let me congratulate you on your astonishing skills and techniques!
These are absolutely a real pleasure to view!! Shannon

What a classy looking entry! I prefer the second with the flower
out of the negative, as it gives it more dimension. Beautiful work
as always enax! Shannon

Definitely a very creative piece! I think for an hours work you did a gret job with the effects and seamless blending. I gotta agree it is on the weird side but we all have a weird side to us, just not all of us can express so artistically :) Shannon

Your observation Bsteph is too funny! Now I can't look at the thing without seeing the so called phallus poking up. Must have been a subconscious attraction...lol! ;) Shannon

Thanx for the comments! BPM, those are shadows that I boosted up with the dodge tool, to pull out some details as the shadows were too dark for my liking :) Shannon

Oh ya, this is wonderful! :) Shannon

Yep, another good one! :)