The transience of power

The memento mori series provides such potent reminders.

Memento mori in print

Experimenting with linocut and texture.

Blending

Playing with oil pastels and blending backgrounds, inspired by a walk over the bridge in fog (photo from 2016) and, Turner's cattle.

I like the impact of the same image in monochrome (below), and I might try something similar in charcoal or graphite.

Turner and change

Working this morning with oil pastels, over old drawings.

from the visual diary, thinking about Turner's train
oil pastel on paper

I was browsing through a book on Turner and captivated again by Rain, steam and speed (1844) responding to the dramatic social changes of his time. We think of our own times as uniquely revolutionary, but the change from walking, riding and sailing can hardly have been less dramatic.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. I'm beginning to feel a little ambivalent about it all, myself. All this change forging ahead without me these days. There's something about Turner's painting which captures the feeling.

Memento mori

Memento mori (latin, "remember you too will die").

A memento mori is a work of art designed to remind the viewer of their mortality and of the shortness and fragility of human life (TATE, 2019). After so many experiences of death, I rarely need reminding, but I like to share the joy of it.

In 2019, my own memento mori series will evolve from work over the last twelve months documenting the dead.

memento mori
2018
still life with cow skull, digital photograph