In The Valley Of Desire | A Mixed Media Art Project

"What have we done, Elana?" Norman paced from one end of Elana's living room apartment to the other. He stopped to peek out the window, then glanced at his watch. Time drew near for a decision. Either stay and deal with the consequences of unfaithfulness, or leave and start fresh. No pressure.

Normal banged his head several times on the wall nearest the window. He wished he could do the same to Elana.

Torn by loyalty, her faith demanded she remain, confess, and work through the fallout. But, in order to move forward, both parties had to possess the will and desire to think rationally, talk, then move forward toward a resolution.

If only it were that easy. Elana moved cautiously toward Norman. A loud wail from the bedroom tossed her reasons for leaving out the window. She paused. Hands shaking, she waved him off.

Another time, then I'll decide, she thought. The words swirled until she had no choice but to open the front door quickly. His back stiff from rejection, bowed his head in anguish. Tears rose up as he remembered the long, slightly off-color slashes on Elana's lower body.

Norman knew she wasn't ready. In an instant, he vanished.

Once outside, he looked up at the window. The curtain closed slowly. He turned and walked away. He knew he'd never return. But he would check on her often just in case of an emergency.

And waiting eighteen years was perhaps too long.

In creating my mixed media art project, I decided on a simple portrayal of the union of male and female. Drawn to each other, the couple know they have other commitments. Their desire didn't hinder their attraction. The image with the yellow circles would represent the consequences of the couple's union. Turning the image ninety degrees gave a better view. I was able to place the man and woman opposite each other.

Below are the images I chose for this project.