Old Painting

I usually avoid these topics, but What the heck...

I have shared this story before and it still kind of bothers me.

When I was a young child we moved into our new house. It was wonderful, As I remember the first few weeks in that home were among the best times of my childhood.

My mother was unpacking for days and then went shopping.. and found a yard sale where she bought a painting.

She brought the painting home and put it over the fireplace in the den. It was an original oil painting of a young girl, very cute, and holding a bunny rabbit in her lap... but she has no smile on her face, and to me she had a strange look on her face.

The next morning after the painting was put up, I remember it was very early and I got up alone to watch cartoons on the TV in the den.

Then I noticed that girl in the painting was looking at me, I remember being shocked, even afraid and then moving all over the room to see her eyes follow me wherever I moved... then I ran up to my room, slammed my door and tried to avoid thinking about it.

As I grew up in that house, I learned to avoid that room and ever looking at that painting.. It was just freaky to me.

I know it could have been just my childhood imagination.. But that is the only thing I've had happen in my life that was even close to a paranormal event.

At a recent family reunion myself and my 3 older sisters were talking about our childhood memories. My oldest sister then said something about the old painting that made the hair stand on the back of my neck... She admitted that she too hated that painting she even said "its creepy, her eyes are always on you, and I swear once she was making scarey faces at me"

We all had a few laughs and I was actually relieved that I was not the only one.

Then our mother came over lauging and said "I think you're all nuts, I love that painting"

It was great to see the family again, and we had a great weekend but when I went inside my childhood home, even at my age now I still avoided that room and looking at that painting.

Gazz

It would be cool if you could post a picture of the painting.
My grandmothers house had a painting that had the opposite effect on me it was of a young indian maiden, kneeling at a stream gathering water.
It was such a calming and peaceful painting that I remember sitting there for hours staring at it, wondering if she was a real person, or just something out of someones mind.
Sadly when my Grandmother passed away, one of my relatives took the painting and I haven't seen it since.

lol i agree with netstorm, id like to see the painting ...but i think your fear associated with the painting is probably due to childhood anxeities, i too remember a similiar exeprience in my old house with a creepy painting....

There is a painting technique (I've forgotten the eyes) that's well known in professional artists where you *can* make the eyes look as though they're following you/watching you. The Mona Lisa's eyes do that as well.

I'd say it was the mark of a very sophisticated painter.

I saw a painting whose eyes follow you in a magic store once. Those things are creepy! I don't blame you for being freaked out, I know I would be if one of those things were in my house.