Time, many moves, glue stains from tape and neglect have not been kind to this sketch of mine drawn March 7, 1976. I was in my 8th month of pregnancy for my son. Although his father and I had parted ways, I’d thought I’d sketch a moment of remembered passion.
I had called it Ebony and Ivory Lovers. It wouldn’t be until 1982 that Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder would release their song with a similar title. I was still in a state of being judged by others for my relationship with a man of colour and my heart wanted to express love wasn’t boxed in by race and this should be obvious to anyone viewing my sketch.
Recently my husband and I stayed at a bed and breakfast called Inn Chanted Forest in London, Ontario. There on a wall outside our room I saw the painting above and it caused me to search in old documents to find my sketch. It struck me how very similar our pictures are and both evidence love transcends skin tones.
© Zora Zebic 2016
Beautiful artwork and story!! Glad you could find your sketch after all these years.