Week 2- Developing ideas

Well the end of the second week has come (I'm actually writing this on Tuesday, whoops) and I can feel my project slowly picking up momentum. The beginnings of projects always seem to start off slow as you try to; A: Work out what your project is actually about (~week 1),
B: Find relevant and interesting research and material (~Now),
C: Decide on what you want to make (~week 3)
I suppose this feels slow as it requires lots of thinking, research and development before you even apply any practical skills. Not properly knowing what your project is seems quite common in the first few weeks, which can be a bit discerning when you only have six seeks!

Two skull studies, One from a photograph I took at the Pitt Rivers museum and the other is a scratch drawing of a rabbit skull my dad gave to me.

Anyway, This week I did quite a lot of research. I watched a TV documentary from 1979 about near death experiences, where people have been brought back from 'clinical death' and saw/experienced very curious things such as being visited by dead friends, seeing themselves from the 3rd person and an overwhelming feeling of calm.

The idea of floating about in an unfamiliar place seems quite common and is a reoccurring feature of near death experiences. It inspired me to draw a person who is not quite there, as if they are a spirit or are phazing into the afterlife. The bright swirly colours is an example of paper marbling, which I was shown by a teacher, Lizzie. I felt that the ambiguous swirling shapes represented the inconceivability of a reality beyond death. The bold, bright colours feel rather dream-like, too. I intend on combining these two images next week.

Other research included old Norse, Roman and Egyptian beliefs of deities and death.
It seems to me that a lot of civilisations have similar ideas of Heaven, Hell and the judgement that leads to them. But they are not identical by any means.

'Judgement' -(ink on paper)
An omni-present being peers into a figure's very soul to decide their eternal fate.

The Romans believe in three underworld realms- 'The Elysian Fields (a version of paradise) if you've been a warrior or hero; The Plain of Asphodel, if you've been a good citizen, where you will continue to live a good life as a shade; or — if you've really offended the gods — to Tartarus, where you'll be punished by the Furies until your debt to society is paid. (There's no "eternal damnation" in the Roman underworld, although you can be there a pretty long time, depending on what you've done.) Your punishment depends on your crime.'- Flavia Claudia on novaroma.org  I like the idea that once you've done your punishment, you get to leave hell. It seems a bit less extreme than eternity. Before they reach these realms, dead Romans have to pass the river Styx with the assistance of Charon, the ferryman. They each pay him a coin (called an Obolus) which they were buried with in their mouth. 'This payment is not representative of money so much as of the relationship between god and man, acknowledging your debt to the gods and their protection and guidance to you.'

I like the idea of death money, which travels to the under-realm with you. This seems to be a reoccurring theme- bringing money or possessions with you after death. 

The Vikings would make a band new set of clothes for a dead cheiftain then burn them along with their tools, weapons and one or two sacrifices. All of these belongings were believed to be carried up in the smoke of the fire along with the dead warrior.

I am considering making some of my own death money to take to the gave, we'll see!

In Egyptian beliefs, the dead's hearts are weighed against the 'Feather of truth'. If the heart is lighter than the feather then they go to heaven. If not they are devoured.

When researching the Egyptians even more for this blog-post I uncovered some really interesting information on what they believed happened to Pharaohs after they die, which features passing through 12 gates, battling the huge evil serpent, Apophis alongside the gods and literally turning into the sun. I fancy making some art inspired by this!

I think this week has gone well, I went to a funeral on Wednesday so that was actually quite useful to reflect on my feelings on death directly. I feel I've been pursuing research and developing ideas with notes and sketches rather well. Next week I'd like to make a series of ink drawings on marbled paper and I would like to produce some Underworld currency.