Do but consider the small grains of dust running through the narrow glass. Born forever in a state through which time slips fast. How is it that the illusion can feel so real? Something made for forever seem so restrictive? Why is the man made construct so agonizing? And there it is; man made. We are drowning and suffering in our own creation, our own reality and consciousness is the limit of us all. We have been asleep for days but still wonder why the sky is so gray only to discover it is the emptiness within that we crave to be filled by, even if it is  heartbreak. Listen to your silence blooming graciously, learn to adopt acceptance and time will no longer be of the essence. It is bittersweet, isn't it?
I am greatly inspired by the digital artist on instagram morysetta’s painting titled anguish, Rene Margritte, Disney’s short Destino and of course Salvador Dali’s clocks. In order to create my piece I started by sketching the layout of the piece and where I planned on everything to go. Then I started painting the background, the figure and so on. I used a lot of blending and contrasting with the paints in order to create the forms of the objects. Underlying themes and messages in the piece could include ideas of mortality and the way of life reminding us that our time on earth is limited and we have no control over it so the best you can do is accept fate. As the sand falls from the top of the hourglass to the bottom it represents change and transformation which one could also interpret as inevitable. Things will change and we must be prepared to adapt to new circumstances. My original chosen medium was actually oil paint, but because I only had four days to work on this I was forced to use acrylic paint because it took less time to dry. The transparency effect added to show the form of the hourglass could represent the idea that the passing of time is now secret which helps to reinforce the theme. For the background I used cooler darker tones to convey the emotion of solemnity to the audience because emotion was a large theme in romanticism. The horizontal, organic form of the clouds has provided balance and unity to the piece as it assists an eerie calmness. Because the shape of the hourglass is so big right in the center but the figure is so small it will assist the symbolism between the relationship of the large but limited quantity humanity has to time. The desert also helps to reinforce the theme as it represents desolation and despair. Deserts are often associated with dryness, emptiness, and the absence of life which I had hoped to produce a sense of hopelessness and despair.
Overall, this piece represents the idea that time is limited and that the best one can do is accept fate. Side note : I have actually been very stressed throughout the past two months because of school and the pressure of deadlines and I feel like by actually illustrating and painting my emotions has taken a weight off my shoulders and benefitted my mental health.