its now 2011, i've only recently learned of the passing of andrea, i did not know her as lea, in fact I really did not know her at all. the full story of how i ended up here is on silvia saints forum but the story still haunts me day and night. I'll give a quick recap before getting to the point. I was injured by a IED in afganistan in the summer of 2004 and due to infection fell to coma around september, I was being kept in a european country regardless of the fact i am a canadian. I can't disclose the country. Shortly before reemergence from coma I had a lucid dream where I stood before two men, one in black one in white asking me if i thought I deserved to return to the world. All along a beautiful girl stood at the start of a long corridor watching. Finally I was able to speak to her and she said she was andrea, only andrea, I should never see her as anyone else she said. I asked why she was there and she said because the men said we had to meet before you died, she didn't know why, nor did i, she didn't even speak my language but i understood her. Then she said that only one of us could go back and that she would take my place, that a soldier should not have to die like this. slowly she walked towards the door at the end of the hall, she was beautiful like nothing i'd ever seen. i turned to the men they were now nurses, the lights of the hospital hurt my eyes, I heard "reemergence on six" over the pa, I had returned, andrea was nowhere to be seen, it was 9"05 a.m. dec 09 2004. we i recovered i painted the first image in the attachments and slowly andrea faded from my memory though i thought of her now and then, after all she gave her soul for mine. two months ago i came across the blog on the last days of andreas life somehow, i dont know how, i read until i cried, then I saw a photo of andrea and i can't explain that moment. is it possible? they say everyone has a soul mate, some say that god made an agreement that if the soulmates did not meet once prior to one or boths death that love would cease to exist. the two need not be from the same country or be the same color or speak the same language but if they meet, and they will and they see the connection they will forever be together. was andrea given cancer becuase of my untimely and possibly unscheduled near death, given cancer to bring her to me at my judgment to ensure we met before i died? would she have given herself so i could live? I am so emotionally connected to this story and andrea that my emotions overwhelm me when i think of her, i for one will never forget her.
the second two paintings were done over the last two months, one is done in fauvism and the other kind of realistic animation, the seven year old first one is done somewhat realism, the hair was never completed in it because when i saw her in the dream her hair was missing in a couple spots due to what appeared to be skull damage, so i had to guess and gave up after blocking it in.
no one can say that the first painting does not bear striking resemblance to andrea.
any artists out there I ask you to do something in andreas memory. i'm trying to organize artists to do something and maybe we can get silvia or monica or others to autograph works and we can auction them to benefit andreas memory by having her sculpture done. I've been trying to pay for it but no one seems to answer my emails, i guess they are all old. I think a concerted effort is better anyway, show people we remember.
the white rose was done on dec9 2005 on a huge canvas and is called a belated rose for andrea.
any of my andrea works, there are more, are off the table, they don' t go to galleries or shows, well the rose did and someone wanted it, as you can see I felt differently about letting him have it. although i wouldn't sell or give them to just anyone they are absolutely free to andreas family and close friends, for family they need only contact me with what they want and i'll do it or have someone do it if i'm unfamiliar with painting a style they want.
