All of us battle trials in our lives and seek solutions, peace, and escape. 'Beyond the Bottle' is a full color, hardbound book of words and illustrations to convey a message through the eyes to the brain to "see" in both senses of the word-both a text and art message intended to be read and viewed together at a moment, a particular point in time and place, with surrounding influences. In other words, it was created for a specific purpose, with both intended and unintended aspects. This book seeks to confront and foster proper response to addictions, especially alcohol.
The author used words, the illustrator used art, and together there is both a text message and a viewed message, individually and together. Neither the text or art was in a vacuum alone, but initial ideas expressed were constantly changed both individually and through the combining process of completing the book. Messages are only a small but important part of the communication and emotional connectivity in our lives. A message conveyed through text or visual art is one of constant change and metamorphosis, both as it is being constructed or conveyed, as well as in the "finished product" as it matures or "ripens" when received through the eyes of the reader. It is then further processed, interpreted, stored, and applied within the complex human brain, always eliciting a response which includes interactions of thoughts and emotions, spoken words or other physical expressions, as well as both plans for or actual actions.