I wrote about a painting called ‘Remote’ by Jim D., at first when I saw this painting it meant nothing to me. After taking notes and writing about every detail I saw, the meaning of the painting came alive. Sometimes, relationships look different to the people in them.

When I looked at the painting, I saw a couple sitting together on a purple couch. The girl laid undressed with a white dog on her legs. The man in the painting wore white boxers with a leg propped on the coffee table and his arm draped around the girl. The couple looked pleased and infatuated with each other.

The house was decorated with paintings of the couple. A burgundy rug laid on the floor with a coffee table over it. Steam poured out of a coffee cup that rested on the table. A bookshelf sat in the corner of the room. A flower pot and books were on the bookshelf. The comforting decoration made the house feel like a home.

Behind them, I saw a big picture window showing the backyard. A whole different world waited beyond the window. Small flowers grew on the windowsill, a squirrel ran along the frame, and birds flew through the blue sky. The backyard burst with life. The window resembled a portal looking into a new universe.

Once I look closer, I got a different understanding. The couple no longer looked happy. The woman looked miserable. However, the man looked content. Her facial expression looked like a cry for help. She laid naked and uncomfortable on the couch. The dark green walls and somber hardwood floors created a dreary atmosphere. The house and relationship looked like a trap.

The house sits in a remote location and the couple is removed from the world. In this house, they have no one else but each other. Unlike the man, the woman seems distressed by the secluded area that they live in. Relationships can be isolated from the world. People on the outside may be clueless to how the relationship actually is.

The inside of the house now feels dark and gloomy, while the outside flooded with life and the warmth of sunshine. Relationships might feel dark, sad, and hopeless. People might feel trapped in their relationships. They settle for their life. If people would stop settling and turn around they would be in awe. A radiant and freeing life waits for them. They just need to escape the trap.

At first glance, the couple in the painting looked happy. The painting portrayed a loving, and comfortable relationship. When I started to look beyond the surface, I realized a different reality. A reality where the woman felt trapped and unhappy. Some relationships look like a fantasy to the outside world, but can be selfish or hateful on the inside. Others may seem cold or lifeless, but may be full of love and support. The world needs to look deeper than the surface.