“Clutch Thee to My Heart” is an original, signed 24 × 32 inch painting by Bisbee, Arizona artist Bill Mead, a tender and delightfully eccentric portrait where devotion takes on a surreal, symbolic form. A robed figure with the head of a long‑billed bird cradles two watermelons as if holding something precious, the gesture both humorous and unexpectedly heartfelt.
A necklace of pearls and red beads adds a ceremonial touch, while a tree‑like crown rises from the figure’s head, topped with a bright red apple tied neatly with a ribbon — a whimsical emblem of offering, growth, and affection. Behind it all, the landscape glows with Mead’s signature mix of saturated fields, trees, and drifting clouds, grounding the fantastical elements in a world that feels both familiar and dreamlike. Mead’s surrealism is confident and unforced; the improbable settles naturally into place, inviting the viewer to linger on the symbolism, the warmth, and the gentle strangeness woven throughout. A vivid, character‑rich work from Mead’s Gravity & Wonder collection.