All right, I'll admit it. I am a hopeless romantic. And by that, I mean 'utterly hopeless'. To me, the feeling of finding love romantically is like discovering a new land. Boundless and full of excitement. How can it not be? When your head spins and blood rushes as your brain releases 'pleasurable' chemicals to take over your whole body completely? When the urge to smile and sigh lives strongly in you like an alien form, even when nothing else was working out in your life? It's quite obvious. Love is like a drug, and we lose ourselves willingly inside it.
Unfortunately, every good romance has its dark skies. If you could find love, you could always lose it. When you give it to someone, you may not receive the same in return. Alas, your heart becomes a playground and not all games have their share of fun at the end. But just like a drug, love's pleasure is a permanent resident inside your brain, ready and waiting for the next chapter of discovery. Which, to no surprise that some people may say, only 'fools' fall in love. Blind, nonsensical and silly as they are. Rightfully deserving of the painful jabs and kicks clobbering them out of their wits. Their only heart, black and blue, sadly with no supply of artificial hearts to help them through.
I was one of these fools. Blind, nonsensical and silly that I was. Always eager to find love, always excited to embrace it. I've tasted the joy, the bliss, the tears and the yearning. All mixed in together in a bowl of bright red bitter sweet punch. Though amazingly enough, it never stopped me to open the door for love. Again, and again, and again. So much for self inflicted pain,some may say. But it didn't matter to me, because despite of the pain, I was happy as I could ever be.
And now, older and hopefully wiser, with love safely harbored and mounted, I still think that there has never been a greater drug to man than the overwhelming feeling of being in love.
Sweet Delirium is inspired by my beloved and talented sister, Mita, whose art is like a charm filled with the magic of love. Both yearned and longed for.
Always,
Amalia
PS: Anana, proud is one heck of a feeling to bear. That's how I always feel when I see your art.
Ok, kapan nih makan baso bareng??? :))
This reminds me of a thoughtfully written out antique, illustrated letter to a loved one. The way the hearts grow around her make me think of love blossoming :)
ReplyDeleteWonerful everything you wrote my sweet Amalia.
ReplyDeleteyour words of love could not be more profound and true .... love is a drug .. impossible to stop it.
This illustration is simply amazing .. I love the overlapping of shadows and colors and the look of your lovely girl.
xoxoxoxoxo
Yasmin
What a beautiful drawing!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully inspiring illustration with matching words.
ReplyDeletebeautiful.
ReplyDeletefirst her eyes
ReplyDeletethen her wonderful hair
hearts everywhere
love abounds
this is a wonderful piece, I love all the layers...all the details
then there are your words, yes love over and over again and always.
I am freshly out of a relationship... love is on my mind, mixed with sadness
your post touched my heart
xo dear lady xo
ok Amalia, I think this is one of my very favorites, I know I keep saying that but then I see another I like even more. I love the colors, I love it all, it's really beautiful
ReplyDeleteWow!
ReplyDeleteFantastic illustration!
Heisann!
ReplyDeleteWisely and nicely reflected and illustrated!
Have a happy Sunday ;:OD)
Yes Amalia, dark and I like it. Good to see a bit of anatomy happening. I realllllllly like the hearts at the end of the plant. I must come back and examine this one more closely.... I think it's a watershed work - whatever that means but for now I'm off to scalp the skipper and walk the millet bush... :)
ReplyDeleteI also like the replication of the cropped woman -it's beautiful work
ReplyDeletehmm I need to get a new icon :)
ReplyDeleteHey everyone! Thanks for your generous comments. They're all very much appreciated :)
ReplyDeleteVanilla, I've always loved the idea of love letters traveling for miles and miles in the olden days. It must have been torture, but sweet nevertheless. :)
ReplyDeleteYasmin, hello! Wow, it sure has been a long time. I hope you are well? And thank you, my friend. Yes, love is a drug, with no prescription needed. Heheh. :))
Tammie, sweet. Thank you, of course. I hope the wonders surrounding you are soothing your heart. (hugs)
Karen, hi! Gee, thanks so much. I like the idea of you having a favorite. Like me, loving ALL of your food related works! Hahaa...
Ha! There's a bearded pirate with a twisted smile lurking about. Well, thank you, Monsieur. Being a...how did you put it, "sick" artist? I'm sure you'd love the bit of anatomy here. Mind you, I was going to draw a liver and intestines, but that would've grossed me out completely! Hahahaa...
Hi Amalia, I understand that you take care of your rights, but we are also entitled to see your artwork without this huge signature that you put.
ReplyDeleteYou can not put it in a different place than the center of the picture?
Thanks, and forgive me for my opinion
Roberto, thanks for your opinion. I'm always happy to get inputs. However, the watermark is there only for my personal peace of mind, as I have once found my work used without permission before and I never liked creating a fuss. So, better to prevent than sorry. Thank you again
ReplyDeleteMy work has been stolen several times in different countries and that is something that is inevitable when you publish. I would say that one must get used to.
ReplyDeleteBut of course. And being human beings, we approach everything we do in so many different ways and react to certain things differently too. I will take your suggestion into account, of course and perhaps find a way to keep everyone happy. :)
ReplyDeleteLove. Always too much to handle, but one seems to be forever in need of it. As many would agree. The hearts speak so many words.
ReplyDeleteOh Amalia, your words are so true and I must say, I am one of those people too, always going for love.
ReplyDeleteI think we are all love seekers and we should be, otherwise we would miss out on the most wonderful feeling we can feel and give, as giving love not only to your lover, but also to your friends, children and maybe even a stranger will be rewarded and we will find ourselfes in the love that will be returned.
So Loveseeker ^___^, wonderful art. The illustration is wonderful. The use of texture really suits this beautiful illustration!!!
Amalia,
ReplyDeleteNothing beats the feeling of falling in love... wonderful drawing...and I have always wished we could bottle the feeling of love in the very beginning...NOTHING beats it. Beautiful words and matching illustration.
xo
Heather
Beautiful drawing and lovely sentiment! You are so very talented!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness Girl!!! WOW!!!! This is sooooooo romantic and wonderful. So awesome and wonderful. I love it! BEAUTIFULLLLLLLLLLL!!!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think that the romantic people suffer more when they are in love and love is over than the others... Because often the real state of things differs from the picture that they have drawn in their minds. To be left brings pain and desperation, to be loved... well, you know pretty well! I agree with everyhing you've written and I think, too, that love is the most beautiful feeling that makes our lives worth living.
ReplyDeleteLovely illustration to your words, precious Amalia! The girl looks pacified, having found at last her True Love. Her heart is alive and she's keeping like a female eagle (we have such an expression in Bulgarian )all the feelings that fulfil it. I have a question... Are the hearts hanging on the Tree of Emotions her past loves? All those relationships that are over and buried now?...
tidaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete:D
:D
:D
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aduuuuuuhhh sorrri aku baru online lg tadi pergi nganterin si bos yg satunya, biasa rungsing (kali ini bukan gw yg rungsing!)
ini apa ini apaaaaaa?????
;))))
THIS IS TOOOOOOO.... &*&@*$&*@$^&*%$@&$&%&@$#####
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aduh aku jadi terharu gini :')
AWAS AJA TUH IF KALO INI GA JADI PIC OF THE WEEK GW BUBARIN ORANG2NYA HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!
seriously thank YOUUUUUU!!!!!!!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxoooooooooooooooo
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ReplyDelete****#&&#%%@^#&*!%#^!%#^^#&*!!!!!!!!
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ADUUUUHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGW HARI INI NGEBASO JUGA SAMA SI DOI!!!!!!!!!!
COOL IM WEARING BLACK!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteTHAT IS SO ME.
COOOOOOL!!!!!!!!
So lovely and sophisticated! Your style (which was stunning before) is evolving so magnificently!!
ReplyDeleteL'amour est un poison. L'amour est l'antidote.
ReplyDeleteI will have to thank everyone who commented on this work. Your thoughts mean so much to me. Kind of like growth vitamins, you know? :))
ReplyDeleteAnd it's wonderful to read all of your various opinions about love. It's one thing that probably holds people together, no matter who and where they are.
ReplyDeleteIt's a wonderful and sometimes painful feeling, a different meaning to each person, affecting all in so many different ways too. I know that it's shaped me into the woman I am now. So I'm more than thankful for it. Both for the happiness and the pain.
Rossichka, the grown hearts represent a few things in my mind. How our heart is able to provide multiple hearts to help us through in each relationship we encounter in life. Whenever one is lost, our heart will recover (or regrow) for the next one.
ReplyDeleteThey were also intended for irony, of how much easier it would be if our heart could grow stronger, tougher hearts. Sort of like 'artificial' ones?
And yes, the other thing would more or less show all the lost loves. Not that she had so many, of course! Hahaa! :)
Your posts are always so thoughtful and delightful. Ah, if only the joy of love could come without the pain. Well said.
ReplyDeleteHey Amalia! What a beautiful work of art! And your written words... so deep and full of emotion. Margaret Mitchell once wrote "I've never been the kind to glue a broken vase back together. i'd rather remember it in its most beautiful state... the same is true with love". It's true that sometimes our memories are the only thing that gets us through. Have a wonderful week my dear Amalia...... stay out of caves... a lot of bats hanging around in them :o)
ReplyDeleteLeah, hi! Thanks so much. "Pain" used to be my middle name..hehe.
ReplyDeleteOh, Mr. Jack, you know your comments always make me smile? I'm sure your heart is probably as big or maybe even much much bigger than those round eyes I see in your characters? Hahahaa... Well, Margaret Mitchell was a smart lady, romantic but sensible. I agree with her totally.
ReplyDeleteNow, about that cave. Which one is this? Is that bat with the beer hat in it? :D :D :D
Soooo lovely!
ReplyDeleteReally liking this!
ReplyDeleteBittersweet and quite lovely!
ReplyDeletereally beautiful :)
ReplyDeleteThis is just so beautiful!!! I really like your style, and the way you draw & paint. I´m so glad I found your blog, there is so much beauty here!
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