Huecos

Holes in rocks carved by rain, wind, and time. Huecos are a marvel for my senses. My eyes trace the lines and patterns while gleaming at the light variants coming through different areas. My hands touch and caress softly as I feel the sand or tiny sediments beneath my fingertips. My ears hear the wind or breeze whistling through the holes and my mouth smiles with pure delight. I know instantly that when I arrive home I will have many pictures to paint from. Sitting and sketching has become more challenging yet my new experiences have blossomed into something even more rewarding. Now I get to enjoy the moment in a new way through the eyes of a wonder child. My husband’s cousin calls this the time of wonder and amazement in a child’s life, at the age our daughter is currently. We could not agree more. She has brought even more whimsy into my creations and I am forever grateful and our conversations.

I have always been blessed with seeing images in rocks and trees and now I watch a little soul seeing new things while communicating with so much joy. I often wonder if she is talking to fairies or angels. I go down the rabbit hole in my mind of where she came from and what she remembers. Why babies are a clean slate and can speak any language once taught? Why animals take human babies in and protect them? So many fascinating questions to think about. All of these go around in my mind as I stare at the holes in sandstone, or any rock I see. I feel as if I am looking into another world and this is why my mind drifts to babies. Huecos take me to a new place in time and I am very excited for the paintings to come. Before experiencing these earthly wonders with our daughter, I would think about other things while looking at the holes. Another constant was what animals may live on them. What do they make you ponder about?

Have a Happy Monday and thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard