Falling And Flying

The inclusion of Hailey's paintings within Ripples is not only utilising an art form that I, Callum, access as a mental and emotional release but it's a crucial narrative element for a bigger picture or canvas if you will. Particularly, the painting called Falling And Flying.

The balance of life is depicted in a piece that shows a crow holding the flower forget-me-nots but perhaps most importantly, positioned in a way that can be interpreted as either falling from the sky or flapping its wings to gather itself to maintain flight.
This is symbolic for the autistic community masking their authentic selves to ‘maintain' society’s narrow expectations. The forget-me-nots are symbolising dementia because of the tie to remembrance and simultaneously memory loss.
The crow itself is deliberate because they are seen by many as bringers of death but also have great memories which leans into the deeper meaning behind Ripples with Janice's memories, misshapen and real.