Forlorn - in vestri absentis (Forlorn in your absence)

Parting is such sweet sorrow" though a more scholarly analysis of this Shakespearean prose translates that 'In order to truly know love, one must first know sorrow'. Having family who emigrated to New Zealand over 100 years ago, their stories are quite representative of the time: some came together, some came to forget the loss of a partner, and some came ahead without their family. To endure the danger of a boat trip around the world, or to leave your family behind, requires a depth of love (and sorrow) which is not always so evident these days.
 
There are different layers of symbolism in the picture. Do the stormy seas represent the sorrow and anguish of the young lady? Is she trying to remember, or trying to forget? Is she literally emigrating, or is the painting symbolistic of the up and down nature of relationships - the other side of love? It is up to the viewer to discern the story of the young lady in this painting, and whether it has any special meaning for them"

Oil on Canvas
69 x 85 cm framed
2011