Want of Talk

My son was diagnosed with apraxia this week. That night an image kept running through my mind. The following picture is what has come of it so far. I'm in the process of developing the idea.

The picture is 18" x 24" on bristol paper; medium acrylic base used as adhesive of Seattle Times clippings and as coating of newsprint; foreground image drawn with permanent ink on bristol paper, cut out and laid on prepared background

I'm planning more color and production of background. I'm also considering treatment of the image of my son as well. I might try to create a more realistic image or might leave the highly contrasting images. Either way, I plan to colorize and add pattern to the speechless communication of the person. My son is surrounded by words, understands and interprets them, but is unable to speak them himself. Silent, but we communicating volumes.