This was originally done for my new house, but realized once I hung it up that the red in the painting was a bit too much for my deep terra cotta walls. Oddly enough, Rhonda had recently renovated her place, and this fit PERFECTLY into the space and colour scheme her bedroom (eerily so), so it didn’t take long for this hanging to find the perfect owner and home that matched it so completely.
2004 was a great year. This was the year Rhonda came into my life (via my long lost half brother and sister (twins) who were adopted before I was born (she is their sister)… follow me?) Connections are not always about how many words you share or how much time you have spent with someone. Sometimes you just seem to intrinsically know everything about a person the moment you meet them. Something in the universe just snaps you into place. It’s an innate connection of passion and spirit… or, perhaps just our mutual love and adoration for R.E.M. … the band… not the sleep pattern, though I am a fan of that as well.
Rhonda sent me this to me when I was getting my website all put together:
The completion of some extensive renovations to my condo happened to coincide with couple of new things. First, a noticeably bare spot on the wall of my new bedroom that I was at a loss for what to do with, and secondly, as timing should have it, the Hales entered my life (that being a whole other story in itself).
On my first visit to Mags’s place I was completely struck by all the wall hangings she had up, and was stunned to learn that she was the artist. I couldn’t get over the amount of detail and how everything she designed had a meaning attached to it… that and the fact that they are just spectacular to look at. I remember telling her that night I wanted one! Given the amount of work that goes into one I knew I would have to be patient and could be waiting a while… or not as the case may be.
Shortly there after I received a call from Mags saying “Ya know, I have a hanging that’s just not working in my place and I’m thinking it would fit perfectly in yours.” So a few days later, tools in hand I get a visit from the artist herself. Not only did she paint it, she hung it for me too… now that’s service! Once the hanging was in place we both stood back to admire and pretty much in unison let out a “WOW!” It was perfect. Size, colour, everything. In most cases it’s the home waiting for the wall hanging to be completed, but in my case it was the completed wall hanging waiting for the right home. I can honestly say that every person I have brought through my place since it has been up has commented (positively) on this piece. I love it! It’s by far my most prized art piece, and made all that more special because of who painted it. – Rhonda DeJong
Untitled (22″ x 74″)
June 2004 / Calgary, Alberta