In Wells Wednesday - Part 3, I shared the Mystic of the Well and Warrior of the Well images from the Wells of Renewal and Decay series. (You can find all of the Wells Wednesday posts linked below.) 

This week, I want to share two related images from the series. These two images are from the same stock tank, and I think they illustrate my previous statement about the challenge of deciding where the story begins and ends. I finally decided that, in this case, there was a story within a story. 

Drought Demons

Drought Demon I is a portion within Drought Demon II. Can you see it? This is why I said there was a story within a story.

I feel like I may have been too specific with the titles on these two images. If I am encouraging you to see, why did I assign such specific titles? Well, these images had such an effect on me that I could not distance myself. In fact, I found it difficult to work on them at all which is exactly why I ultimately decided to share them. However, where I see something sinister, others do not see it that way at all. That is okay. I want you to see something different than I see. So, I am going to ask you to ignore the titles I assigned to them. Now, look at both of these images again and tell me what you see? 

Someone told me they see the skull of a cow or a coyote, and the other is a portrait of a man. I can see that now, but I have to consciously look for the skull in the first one. I see something very different. These two images haunt me, particularly the Drought Demon I. 

Symbolism

Drought is a strong symbol of everything from destruction, despair, devastation, death, displeasure of the spirits, and scarcity in all forms. When coupled with the color red, which could symbolize guilt, sin, anger, and/or fire, it becomes thought provoking don’t you think? One of my favorite authors, John Steinbeck, used similar symbolism with words when he referenced drought and the red earth in his classic novel, The Grapes of Wrath. 

As I have said in the previous Wells Wednesday posts, I want you to find the stories and connections that are meaningful to you in these images. The words and thoughts I have shared here are intended to help you find that story rather than lead you to only one story.

I hope you will come back next Wednesday for our final Wells Wednesday in August. But, be sure to bring your own vision. Leave a comment. Tell me what you see in the graffiti of time.