Here is a new work I started this work while visiting family in central Finland.
I stayed at my moms empty apartment while she is having an extended stay at the hospital. She fell and had a stroke, and is now partially paralyzed. Her memory has been going bad in recent years and she wont be coming back to her place anymore. She is now waiting for a spot somewhere where she can be better taken care of. So, I visit her at the hospital while there and rest of the times I'm staying at her place.
Solitude
digital drawing
2023
I had a lot of time on my hands, so i ended up having a strange kind of art retreat. I had some nice walks in the beautiful landscapes, but have to admit a lot of it was just binge watching Yellowstone trying to escape what ever it was i was feeling. One day, I was sketching an island, not sure why, Then of course thinking about the origin and meaning of "no man is an island" I went to look it up later. I think its of those things i look up and forget in perpetuity. (John Donne, Meditation XVII) I also had recently read For Whom The Bell Tolls by Hemingway and realized the connection there. Anyway, I saw my cat sitting on the window sill taking a little nap from bird watching. "what about cats?" I thought.. and the thought amused me enough to make a drawing of it. What strange creatures. A lot of the time it is comfortable being alone, though at least mine, will very loudly demand attention at other times. He is deaf, so extra loud.
The cat is integral part of the story too.
It belonged to my mom and her boyfriend. It was his idea to get a cat, but my mom would not stand it near her. Then the boyfriend got sick with cancer and he sent my mom off along with the cat. He died about a year ago. The cat had not much options, so I took it to stay with me and he's been with me for almost two years now. My mom has been living in that place for that time. It never felt quite like coming to a home, not sure if i ever had that feeling, but it was still nice to have. Anyway, that's where this drawing came from.