Will You Think of Me?

April 30, 2025

This painting began with my wife. One day she sat down with a canvas and began a painting with a dark background and the rough image of a woman — the start of a portrait. Then she stepped away from it. It sat there for a long while, leaning against the wall, unfinished. Waiting in the basement.

Eventually I picked it up and started to paint—not to finish what she started, but to respond to it. That’s how it felt. I added colors, dots, little smiling beings, faces peeking out from the shadows. I followed the forms she left behind, letting them guide me. I didn’t plan it out too much. That’s how I usually paint—by feeling my way forward, brushstroke by brushstroke. It speaks to me. I do my best to listen.

It became something new. Something shared.

The phrase “Will you think of me?” appeared in the top corner. I’m not sure where it came from exactly. It just felt right. So I wrote it. Maybe the painting is asking. Maybe I am. Maybe we both are.

Working like this—starting with someone else’s paint and, letting the unknown lead—is a reminder that creating doesn’t always have to come from a blank canvas. Just like painting on an old piece of wood or a rusty piece of tin, there is a story built in — character added from the start. It leads me to more creative places.

Thanks to my wife for the good start.

My currently available paintings can be found here.

See you soon,
Kyle BlackCatTips Brooks