Oil on canvas – 20 x 24 inch – Unique work

This is the story of a mill that was tired of working. He was tired of having his feet in the water. He longed for another life in a completely different landscape. So …

On a moonless night, when all the cats are grey, the green mill decides to leave, incognito, what he considers to be his hell. He will miss his closest neighbours, mills just like him. Some have even become very close and true friends. He didn’t tell them, of course. He didn’t want to hurt them and mostly how can he tell them. They wouldn’t understand.

The guilt of leaving them is quickly replaced by the syrup of the street, this new taste of freedom. He crosses roads, towns. He misses being run over by trucks in a hurry to deliver their goods. It’s not that easy but it’s so thrilling.

Before leaving, he did not decide on the exact place where he was going to settle. He told himself that he was going to go straight ahead and that fate would put him on the right path. He is confident. The clouds that have invaded the sky since the end of the afternoon are beginning to dissipate, revealing the North Star. He’ll be able to, more or less, find his way around and avoid going around in circles!

How long has he been walking like this? The mill does not know. He feels fatigue gain his lower limbs. He finds increasingly difficult to support his blades. Everything seems so heavy to him. He begins to get discouraged but a small inner voice prompts him to insist, to tap into his deepest reserves. He will be rewarded, of course.

The city is far now. No more light disturbs the twinkling of the stars. He can even make out the Milky Way. It’s exquisite. He doesn’t know why, he doesn’t care, he makes the decision to leave the street, on the spur of the moment. He turns right and climbs to the heights. Something soft, delicate, tickles his feet. He does not see clearly enough to figure out what it is. And then he collapses, exhausted.

The green mill is awakened by the singing of birds, he takes a look around: a huge field of tulips.