The Bridge of Come Back Soon

🎵 There's a place we went not far from here, a temple of games and fun Four sometimes five, like a rocket fuelled hive, hurling through the morning sun

And there by the hill, standing powerfully still, a tower of living cartoon Rainbow Winkies taking sillibish drinkies, by the Bridge of Come Back Soon

And the Domino Man he comes and goes, but he always leaves a tune So we sang away and danced all day on the Bridge of Come Back Soon

We flew down to the lake, like a liquid cake, with sea monsters blue and maroon Spladosh and pladoosh and 'RAAR RAAR GOOSH!', under the Bridge of Come Back Soon

We collected the flowers, in the magic hours, til late in the afternoon Then the Klik Klak came, it was always the same, on the Bridge of Come Back Soon

Those smiling squeals and the wonderland wheels, tearing through our games 'Quick get me up and hold up the cup!' as we shouted out our names

And as biscuits ended, between the friended, home beckoned to the light of the moon And we promised that day that we'd NEVER grow up, on the Bridge of Come Back Soon 🎵

This piece was inspired by a viaduct, long since abandoned, close to the house where I grew up. We would take our packed lunches and play there all day, inventing weird and wonderful games, stories and characters. We abandoned logic and we leaned into the impossible, spending our Saturdays under a veil of precious fantasy, guided by nothing except our imagination.

I have attempted to capture this feeling by creating a maelstrom of symbols, vibrant colours, shapes and most importantly, a sense of place. A gathering of friends in a location so secret and guarded from the outside world.

Because we created it.

This piece was made using original drawings in Procreate and a 3D paper model of the bridge, combined to create a digital collage.

'Play is the mediator of the invisible and the visible' Dora M. Kalff

The Bridge of Come Back Soon 1/1 Mixed media - digital drawing and paper model 4000 x 5500 px