Image by Azmi Talib from Pixabay
“OK, I know there is all kinds of science that goes with that idea of no more gravity, and I'm ahead in reading but not that far ahead in science – but what I do know is that trees will look very different, and that's what I'm painting.”
Eleven-year-old Velma Trent had begun her exploration into surreal art, and so was imagining different kinds of trees that would no longer have their branches drooping down. She also had realized there would be no atmosphere, so, the trees were reaching for the sun and the moon and the stars all at the same time.
“This is actually really interesting,” six-year-old Grayson Ludlow said from next door. “Since buildings don't really have roots, it would be hard to build stuff with no gravity, but this is really interesting.”
“Things you wouldn't have to worry about,” Velma said, “since there's no air, and we would have to have headed out for other planets by this time. Even these trees wouldn't make it, but, we're just using our imagination.”
Grayson considered this.
“You know,” he said, “your hair when it is washed and just gets to enjoy the day acts like there's no gravity.”
“African hair reaches toward the sun, indeed,” Velma said, “but then again, Grayson, life does in general. You're getting taller, just like the trees are.”
“Oh yeah,” Grayson said. “I guess gravity keeps us from getting too high too fast, but then we gotta live, so there's still room to grow and build.”
“That's it,” Mrs. Velma Stepforth said, little Velma's grandmother, said. “She just gave every tree a different kind of Afro to figure out what it would look like – all of the branches reaching toward the sun and stars.”
“Yep,” Mr. Thomas Stepforth said, “and if you look carefully at those two big trees in the middle, that's from that picture of us from 1972, with our matching blowouts.”
“Yep, it is, Pop-Pop,” Velma said. “That's y'all because all the other trees are just out of your fruit. This is also a portrait of our family.”
“OK, this got even more interesting,” Grayson said. “This is a lot, but, we have gravity, so I'll grow up and breath air and figure it out.”
“Yep, you will,” Velma said, and gave her neighbor a hug.