Heart

I have to admit that my heart fluttered when I learned that this week's theme over at Illustration Friday would have us rushing to check our pulses for signs of creative life. Thankfully, it wasn't related to actual health concerns. After all, I try to show a bit of restraint when I order that small cone, not double- dipped in chocolate, no matter what either I or the devil desires. ;o)
Motifs associated with hearts and love figure prominently and obviously on Valentine's Day, weddings, anniversaries or any joyful occasion or expression of endearment, so this should be an easy topic to conceptualize!
But I don't intend to go overboard emoting, wear my feelings on my sleeve and get all touchy- feely- kissy- face with this one. Messages sent from beneath the surface are often ambiguous anyway, open to interpretation, good or bad, clear or murky.
Do you see disappointment here in this picture? A sinking heart? Heaven forbid, is love something to constrain, to slowly drown underwater? Or is it something steadily anchored, yet easily let loose from deep within your heart?

Thinking of You

While the disastrous events that have hit Japan during this past week continue to grip the world's attention, our hearts sink deeper as we watch the horrors unfold and grieve with the victims of this unimaginable tragedy.
Drawing inspiration from the resilience and perseverance that the Japanese have demonstrated as they've endured and risen above other hardships throughout history, we recognize that pain is temporary, and the opportunity to reach out to others always presents itself.
Wherever we might be, do we know others who could benefit from a little kindness? Can we find it in our hearts to share a little?

Surrender, Illustration Friday

I surrender! Here's a quickie for this week's prompt, inspired by Valentine's Day and with a nod to all the tattoos and other forms of body art out there.
I must confess, I've never surrendered a square inch of my own flesh to ink or piercings, having already sacrificed tiny pieces of myself to the roads, sidewalks and other undisclosed locations where my much younger self used to skate around on (or off, as it were) urethane wheels.
Whether it's a sweet valentine, a kid rolling down the road on wheels, or a bold statement in body ink, each offers a form of expression as individual as its origin. Surrender yourself to an expressive week!

Magnify, Illustration Friday

Sad events, such as watching our loved ones leave us, can magnify the sensation of loneliness.