"V" is for Vanished and Vanquished - A to Z Challenge

"The Vanished and the Vanquished" ©Mary Montague Sikes

Vanished and vanquished are "V" words for Farrah Ferand's exhibition painting challenge. Farrah is the heroine of  Evening of the Dragonfly, my romance with underlying psychodrama. As she paints, bits and pieces of her regressed memories resurface. Today's painting, "The Vanished and the Vanquished," is important in her memory recovery. Her mother's death occurred in a car driven into a lake near the country home in Mississippi where Farrah grew up. Her mother vanished and with that loss, much else was vanquished from her life.

One of the meanings of vanquish is "to gain mastery over" a passion, an emotion, a fear. As she paints for her one-person show, Farrah is vanquishing her fear of the unknown, her fear of the past, and much more.

"The Vanished and the Vanquished," mixed water media and pencil on canvas, 24" x 36", is one of the two largest paintings in Farrah's show. Those of you who really liked the details posted earlier from this painting might be disappointed at the changes. Layering colors and images makes a big difference in the final piece of art. Sometimes it's hard but necessary to make changes in the details of work you already love!

A lot is going on in this painting. See what the imagery means to you.