It started with a single tube of scarlet. Not a huge tube, although the acrylic paint seemed to spread a long, long way over the white expanse.
Tylah looked up at the two-centimetre sanguine slash, the beautiful brush stroke – added a twin along its full width. She felt how the ample paint oozed from the brush, impressing her of its expansive expression, whispering to her of its potential.
Again she tentatively lifted her arm, spontaneously crossing the streaks, dividing their flow in an almost violent attack. Behind her, Tylah heard the television spouting out its stream of nonsense. Her cat yeowled in the next room, tummy rumbling as usual and asking in his Burmin tones for ‘more’.
More, more, more – she thought.
This time, after dipping her brush in the scarlet pool, she scraped the brush deftly up and down and up and down. It made a tiny slip-slap noise, vocalising its delight as inert expression became visual.
Red, like the blood when she cut her finger on the broken glass. Red, like that lipstick on the bathroom mirror. Red, like the flowers in the front garden.
More, more, more. Tylah became excited, nervous, impatient. More, more, more.
She threw down the brush and plunged her hand into the pool, throwing herself against her creation, dragging palms downwards, pushing her fists outwards, dragging her nails through the caked-on paint almost in a frenzy.
More, more, more.
All the pent up expression, released.
Freedom.
Freedom from the bars she had found around her; bars she had only climbed over a few minutes before.
Freedom from the noise and inane imagery before her from the television.
Freedom to show the world just what she was feeling inside.
Freedom from fascism, authoritarianism, slavery, servitude.
(Of course, she only sensed these things – all those big words).
The back door opened, then closed.
Tylah stopped. She sat on her padded bottom, wiped her red hands down the front of her Barbie overalls. Her mummy walked in carrying the last of the shopping bags.
Art Unleashed (reposted)
An artist unleashes her passion for scarlet.