Life line

I had an ECG the other week. I'm fine, actually, but while the GP popped out of the office to get me a leaflet on something or other I took a quick snap of the readout on my phone. A little furtive photo frisson. I find it fascinating that a series of lines on a page represent my heart. And since it's been my heart that's been causing me gyp (again, I'm fine), and since I'm such a big believer in the body/mind connection, I wanted to do something arty with this line image, to make sure my heart knows it's seen and heard.
I had the idea to sew the red line onto a painting and turn it sideways to look like a path. That was what I imagined in my mind. I made a painting with pouring medium but while I like the result it didn't turn out quite right for the purpose so I rummaged around in my box of scribblings and decided to use one I'd recently scribbled as a background, sufficient for a test run of my idea. The painting came about during this painting session: this is my friend diving into finger painting. This is the kind of marvellous nonsense we get up to once a month or so.

I love that video. We tell each other repeatedly during our little painting adventures 'It's only paper and it's only paint' but we forget, like in life.
So here is how it went with the red thread.

 

Then the artistic computer tweakery.

There's a thread you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn't change.
People wonder about what you are pursuing.
You have to explain about the thread.
But it is hard for others to see.
While you hold it you can't get lost.
Tragedies happen; people get hurt
or die; and you suffer and get old.
Nothing you can do can stop time's unfolding.
You don't ever let go of the thread.

William Stafford ~ The Way It Is

 The constellation of me.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, 

and with all your soul,

and with all your might.

Deuteronomy 6:5