Minds of People and Portraits on Water: An Apt Metaphor

chillibreeze writer — Nikhil TN

Definitely sounds stupid, doesn't it? How can anybody draw anything at all on water of all things? It was when I passed by a lake that this apparent impossibility struck me. Would water be a suitable background for any painting? I haven't seen any material work until now, but visualization has had its effects on my mind.

I was lying when I said I haven’t seen any paintings on water. I have seen the most picturesque of vistas on water. I am not suffering from schizophrenia nor have I been struck on the head by an inconceivable idea of painting on water. In fact all of us have seen these sceneries. Still wondering what I am talking about?

Reflections. Water, due to its luster, reflects almost every ray of light thrown upon it. Hence I have seen the pictures of every visible object from the mother of all powers - The sun, to the most insignificant of the natural entities ( yep, that is me). The portrait I came upon was all wrinkled and disfigured. I dropped a stone upon it and it disappeared into little geometric sculptures on water (You must think I am crazy. First paintings on water, now sculptures!)

Ripples. Yeah, that is what I was talking about. The image appears after the troubled waters turn calm again. This small 'at-the-first-sight' unimportant phenomenon has a lot to do with real life.

Isn't this what happens to all of us ?

When there are troubles we run away from them and return when everything is over, we return to face life. The other factor is the comparison of the portrait with a person's character. He changes with the change in waves (circumstances), the light (fortune) and other disturbances (troubles).
His thoughts and behavior are so very temporary. He is malleable and tends to bend under pressure. He forgets relationships, out of self centeredness and greed.

He tramples everything in his path, regardless of bonds, to become what he wants to be or achieve his selfish goals. His life becomes a 'lone wolf' race, where there is only one winner and that is him. He will loot, cheat, betray, plunder or kill to get there. This is the way the modern man lives. He becomes very mechanical, insensitive and void of emotions.

In the end he becomes a portrait - So very life-like, yet lacking in life. His character so fickle makes him “a portrait on water”.

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Nikhil writes for chillibreeze.

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