Friday, September 01, 2006

Illustration Friday: Safe

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket--safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.
-CS Lewis

Peace to all, and give someone special the combination.

31 comments:

JO said...

Really Wonderful, love everything about your illo.

valerie walsh said...

very powerful! love it!

Janet said...

Wonderful!...and what a nice surprise to see the real you up top!

Heartful said...

Beautifully put. Your posts always strike me right in the heart.

carla said...

I always love reading your heartfelt words (no pun, really), whether they are about human nature, animals, the world.. This illusttration is beautifully done...you've made the heart look hard and impenetrable and fragile at the same time, and played with the meanings of "safe." Well done!

carla said...

P.S. - I love seeing a photo of you!

Michelle Lana said...

I really like that heart. great!

steve said...

Excellent once again Twisselman!

Amy Zaleski said...

Wow, that is such a powerful passage from Lewis, but so very true. Wonderful visual interpretation of the words. I love your focus on the hands and the feeling of closeness.

Unknown said...

This is great. I really love the excerpt you included. Great illustration!

TheTart said...

Wow ... we are on the same wave length! I have been thinking about hearts & love too for safe. This is wonderful ... both your image & the quote. ; )

Perfect smooch,
The Tart
; )

Ps. I love your new avatar ... a sneak peek of the Twisselman. Nice!

andrea said...

I love your thoughtful approach to IF: the marriage of image and words. I'm not surprised to read that this was written by CS Lewis. The illustration is just right.

Tony LaRocca said...

great shading work! Sweet idea

HARDWAX said...

I don't know what what to say-how bout-just a fabulous piece of work and i'm jealous. So excellent!

Unknown said...

Excellent quote. The heart afraid is petrified.. turned to rock. I like the visual interpretation you have chosen. But as you've shown, there IS a combination that will open this safe... :-)

steve said...

Nice metallic effect on the heart !
:-)

stevePoisonPencil

Ellen Byrne said...

As always, a great concept and rendering!

Digital Scott's Illustrationblog said...

This totally pulled me in! What a powerful message. And masterfully executed! Wow, wow and wow.

Digital Scott's Illustrationblog said...

I made my previous comment without reading your text. I LOVE the C.S. Lewis quote, and have not heard that one before. I jotted it down to ponder again and again. I like Lewis a lot, and frankly I needed to hear this message A LOT. I have a hard time trusting people frankly. Thanks for sharing the message. And I too was intrigued to see the change in your profile pic.

Kim de Young said...

There is always such a softness in your work. Peace is indeed your theme. The combination to my heart was figured out easily by my best friend and husband. Wonderful post!

trowbridge chronicles said...

What a powerful piece of art, and a powerful message behind it.

° said...

great illo to compliment ur quote

Franfou said...

very clever ! brilliant !

madretz said...

Seems as though you've unlocked a part of your heart for all of us to learn from, too. Thanks for the wonderful message.

Gabrielle said...

That's a great quote, so true. You have certainly done it justice, your work is amazing!

LDahl said...

This one and the car before it are both terrific, really love them both!

modroom said...

Keeping it safe.. and revealing your eyes!

Larry Lee said...

There are things that are safe in your heart. Only those with whom you've given the combination can open it. Great illo.

Anonymous said...

Aaaw, this is so lovely. =D
Great illo.

swahnen said...

great photoshoping man!

Anonymous said...

Did C.S. Lewis write this in his book "Shadowlands"? It would seem to be appropriate as his heart broke over the loss of his wife, Joy Gresham. Great illustration. I can relate completely to the pain of loving someone else.