Tuesday 19 March 2013

ATC – Gather Ye Rosebuds…

Gather Ye Rosebuds
The concept for this Artist Trading Cards is a poem by Robert Herrick. It deals with the fleeting time we have on this earth and reads:
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.

The painting on the card is one of my favourites by John William Waterhouse. I love the intense colours and the style of composition resurrected by the Pre-Raphaelites. Using this inspiration and influences from the Impressionists, a Waterhouse painting is a joy to behold.

The poem and the painting have inspired me. Not to sound maudlin, but I feel so often we take each day as if we will live forever. Instead a healthier outlook would be to embrace the latin phrase, Carpe diem..seize the day..make each day extraordinary.

The ATC includes the use of art papers, pressed rose petals, glass bead and matte mediums. It is the first in a series.