A week ago my brother-in-law phoned me  at 4 a.m. My country was under attack. Bombs in the air

A week ago my brother-in-law phoned me  at 4 a.m. My country was under attack. Bombs in the airport and metro killed 35 people and injured more than 300.I was in shock and couldn’t believe terror has made its way only an hour from where I was born.I remember the images of 9/11, the attacks in Madrid and London, the terror around the world caused by extremists. Then Charlie Hebdo happened, followed by the horror in Paris, attacks in Egypt, Tunisia, Istanbul, Nigeria  & Pakistan. They all made me sad and I felt truly with the victims. But when it happened in the country I was born, in it had an impact on me that I never felt before.Immediately I felt I needed to paint my anger and frustrations away.The next day I started to paint.  CNN was on the TV in my studio, my computer had the pages of the Belgium newspapers open. I couldn’t  focus or concentrate. I threw the painting away. The last week I have been following the news and I let it all sink in a bit.2 Days ago I decided to try again. I don’t pretend I have the answers because I really don’t. I know the West is making mistakes as well. The images of the Syrian men, women and kids, with injuries just as horrible as the ones in Brussels are often caused by bombs from our planes. So who am I to judge and blame. But, I refuse to live in fear. I refuse to blame the refugees. The vast majority of them are leaving their homes because of the same monsters who  just bombed Brussels. I refuse to blame all Muslims. Many of my friends are Muslims and they have always treated me with respect. I refuse to let hate take over.  I’m not going to give you a peace and love speech.  I am just expressing my feelings the way I am comfortable with - on the canvas, with my pallet knifes.This is a painting that expresses how I feel. I wrote messages on the painting. Not just mine but many taken from pictures I saw in newspapers. The image of TINTIN is not mine but I thought he needed to be in there because he is Belgian. And just as all of us, he is sad about his country.On Thursday the painting  will be at the art show in Playa. Anyone is welcome to write a message of hope, peace.You can also write your message here. -- source link

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