The 3 Fates are found in Greek and Roman mythology.  I explored the Fates many years ago when I was an under graduate.  My interpretation was abstract and reflected the  ideas of indestructible youth.

I seemed to be focused more on the idea of 3 and not so much on the implications of the Fates.

It is the fates that determine your life and its end.  That is pretty significant stuff.  The first fate is Clotho the spinner.  She spins and weaves the thread of life .  My concept of Clotho has changed a lot over the years.  I see her currently being represented by a bird, building weaving compulsively. The bird just felt right.  I  have always seen birds as magical, smart and iconic, timeless fragile and enduring.  I also wanted the concept of the fates to be more personal.   Clotho is the spinner but she is also the beginning of life, the journey and the dance. It must then include youth and life from a beginning.  The first Fate includes a portrait of Lucy my newest grand daughter.  The inclusion of portraits of family members adds the tie that I am looking for.  I started laying out this first Fate image  and will include some of the sketches soon.

 

 

I am turning 64 in January 2015.  That represents a lot of time, a lot of birthdays and a lot of experience.  Time and the passage of time has been a recurring theme in my artwork.  I find it fascinating to see what time will take away and what it will leave behind.

When I was younger it was a fascination, now it is a reality.  When my parents died I remember having the feeling that I was moving closer to the head of the line.  It was a disconcerting feeling.  Not that I was fearful of death but there was a realization that time is also limited for each of us.  From the day we are born we begin the aging process and a dance with Death.   This, I now realize is not a bad thing.  It is a dance, a give and take a back and forth.  Some of us get to dance for a long time while others only get a short waltz, but we all dance.   I have always enjoyed  Hans Holbein’s series of prints he entitled “Dance of Death”.  These prints are of Death as he comes for you and often we don’t see him coming.

   

My artwork is lately about my thoughts on time and aging and death and Life.  Reading the obituaries can put  time in perspective and keep me motivated to set priorities of what is truly important

My current project is about the 3 Fates.  One that weaves the thread of life, one that measure it and one that cuts it.  My thoughts and ideas on the first fate next time.

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