Wild Life

changing plans

A Near Miss

The other night, my husband and I had planned to stay at a friend’s house, but our plans changed. Driving home at 50 miles an hour on a dark, wet road without streetlights, traffic around us moved in a pack—two cars ahead and one behind. I could see a line of oncoming traffic ahead. The car behind us was speeding toward us at breakneck speed. Approaching vehicles were getting closer, and the crazy car behind us darted around us next to my driver's side door, heading straight for a head-on collision!

I quickly braked, and the fast car slipped into the space ahead of us, speeding off into the night.

We were stunned. Silent. Dumbstruck. A moment later, I turned onto our dark dirt road, feeling relieved to leave the world behind. Rick and I muttered a few things, like “God, that was close” and “Wha…just…happened…?????”

“We…are…so…..lucky…….”

We drove up the hill in silence.

The energy of the night swerved.

It had to! How could we remain in shock? I did what I always do…move on to '“doing’. I admitted to my husband I felt disappointed about heading home, knowing we’d probably get lost in our chores—me, putting away endless books, clothes, and dishes; Rick, off in the man cave, reading the newspaper (YES, newspaper), and basically getting caught up in the HOUSE. A night away at a hotel or staying in a friend’s guest room provides a small break from our routines. He agreed to bypass our house for the night, and we stayed in my studio across the yard. I have a loft with a bed in it. I’d been sorting projects from the 80s on my table, trying to decide what to do with them. My favorite red overalls were on a chair. I once submitted them to an art show, with a rotary phone cord hanging from a pocket and dark blue-dyed yellow dish gloves from my Batik days. I thought they were edgy and wonderful. But now, after nearly 50 years, I wonder what to do with them.

I asked him if he would model for me, and look what happened!

“Synergy” photo by Mary Hill

I really like this photo because the figure becomes part of the painting, and the painting and the person become a new entity.

Synergy =the interaction of elements that, when combined, produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc.; synergism.

In the foreground is one of the paintings I’m working on from my “overthinkey headress” series.

As I’ve mentioned before, my dream as a seventeen-year-old was to be a VOGUE fashion photographer. I’m not sure this photo would have made it into the magazine, but I loved the FEEL of doing a spontaneous photo shoot with Rick as my model. I do love taking pictures…a perfect task when I’m in shock.

Dark Night Photo Shoot photo by Mary Hill