Work of Art ~The Inspiration
Page 26
She gently lifts the paper out of the folder and holds it up me. “It’s a love poem, Ava.”
I take it out of her hand to examine it more closely.
The printout is of an E. E. Cummings poem, “Somewhere I Have Never Travelled, Gladly Beyond.” My breath catches—he couldn’t possibly know it’s one of my favorite poems. My gaze drops down to the last graph and I silently recite it to myself.
(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens; only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands
“Oh, Jess,” I whisper. I press my hand on my chest to keep my heart from unfolding.
She rests her hand on my shoulder to steady me.
“But Jess…all this time I thought he had no romantic interest in me. Sure, he’d flirt, but more often than not he’d treat me like a buddy. I didn’t know what his intentions were until the night of the printing, and even then I thought he only wanted sex.”
“I know, babe. And now you know you meant so much more to him. Here’s the last thing…look at this.” She turns back to the folder and tenderly peels back a sheet of parchment paper. There’s a piece of heavy watercolor paper with a drawing of the photo he emailed me from the day we went thrift store shopping for paintings. It’s exquisitely detailed with accents of soft pastels.
He’s rendered me far more beautiful than I am, and for a moment I’m transported away from our current crisis and my heart soars. It takes my breath away that such a beautiful piece of art was created in my likeness. But more than that, this drawing was done when things were good between us. Unlike my angel painting, which was my gift, this drawing was for him. It’s quietly beautiful, not the rage-filled scrawl of my name on the paintings that stand before us.
This drawing holds the truth of how Max once saw me, and I ache now for all that we’ve lost.
Jess points out something in the bottom corner and I lean in closer to see. Handwritten in small letters Max has written: My Ava…
Overcome, I rush out of the studio and down to the beach. Tears fight their way down my face as my mind races. I need to get away from all of this, both the drawing Max created, and the paintings he destroyed as he pulled me into his heart and ripped me out again.
When I reach the shore, I stop, close my eyes and picture Max’s face, from his brilliant eyes to his perfectly-sculpted jaw. When he smiled, he was too beautiful. Everything about him was too much, perhaps more than I could ever handle. His presence was so commanding that, even when he was quietly standing, I was drawn to his energy.
Now I understand that he was powerfully drawn to me too.
In my heart, I know I won’t be at peace until Max is found and gets help. So I make up my mind that I’ll be a force of nature too, if that’s what it takes to bring Max home. Only then can I know what the next chapter of our gothic romance novel holds, or if the cover is closed forever, forcing us to move on with our lives.
I look to the horizon and brace against the gale that curls off the ocean, carrying part of its mysteries and the stories from its depths yet to be told. I wish my words could travel with the current to places near and far, where answers linger in hallways and nestle in corners, waiting to be revealed. I close my eyes and whisper into the wind…
Max…where are you?
Coming Soon
The Trilogy
Book II~The Unveiling January 2015
Book III~The Masterpiece March 2015
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Also by Ruth Clampett
Animate Me
Mr. 365
Many thanks to those of you
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~it’s much appreciated.
Acknowledgements
Big love to my Home Girls: Alex, Cheri, Lisa and Judy.
Hugs and high-fives to my Lost Girls: Erika, Dawn and Susi.
Endless gratitude to editors Angela Borda, Aviva Layton, Janine Savage and Janell Parque: it’s that fine line you tease me with between sweet torture and sublime satisfaction that keeps me coming back for more.
My bookcover Mod Squad: Photographer David Johnston and Designer Jada d’Lee… you are image magicians, artfully rendering while coaxing me down the right path. You always lead me to exactly where I wanted to be. A million thank you’s would never be enough.
Michael Senich you make a delightful muse. Thank you for always putting a smile on my face.
Thank you Flavia Viotti Siqueria and Meire Dias of Bookcase Literary Agency whose love for my passionate artist really lit the fire under Work of Art. Thank you for believing in me.
I’m grateful for the savvy guidance and enthusiasm of Neda Amini, the passion and visual stylings of Elli Iris, and the wonderful support and encouragement of Suzie and Kellie.
Love and appreciation for sweet friends Azu and Laura, and beta CJ who were by my side at the beginning of Maxfield’s journey.
And last but not least….thank you to my fic friends, readers, reviewers, bloggers, Tweeters, and fic promoters….I’m so grateful that we’re together on this thrilling ride. Tighten your seat-belts…the fun has just begun!
About the Author
Ruth Clampett, daughter of legendary animation director, Bob Clampett, has spent a lifetime surrounded by art and animation. A graduate of Art Center College of Design, her careers have included graphic design, photography, VP of Design for WB Stores and teaching photography at UCLA. She now runs her own studio as the fine art publisher for Warner Bros. where she’s had the opportunity to know and work with many of the greatest artists in the world of animation and comics.
The Work of Art Trilogy is Ruth’s third publishing endeavor, following Animate Me and Mr. 365. She lives in Los Angeles and is heavily supervised by her teenage daughter, lovingly referred to as Snarky, who loves art and visiting museums as much as her mom.
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