A Simple Tryst of Fates (Part 1)

The Fates have always straddled that spooky cum intriguing place in my imagination. While the Yankees and Santa are in the final inking process, I will be simultaneously hashing out a new composition. The first drawings below were started earlier in the year and abandoned as I was not completely satisfied with where they were going, below are two of the better incarnations: There's a slight problem, I realize, with the order of of the action. Atropos, the cutter, (I do not mean to imply that she takes a razor to her veins here) is doing the cutting at what would be in fact the beginning of the life cord... which makes Lachesis, the measurer, rather pointless. (I find this problem in many traditional renderings of these three) Atropos will need to reach in and cut closer to the distaff, and Clotho's spinning. However, she should remain on the right side as she is the end of the story, and I expect the reader to read from left to right.












© Richard Ewing all rights reserved

Earlier prelim for what became above. The Roman equivalent of their names are Nona, Decima, and Morta. I think I'll use these as they feel more comfortable to my ear. I'm more Latin than I am Greek. You can tell by my palliditity. Here the visual weight was too equally spread among the three fates. A better balance was achieved above.












© Richard Ewing all rights reserved

In some more recent explorations below, I am considering incorporating a head of supposedly the person whose lifespan is being determined. There much more to hash out here, but it may add a needed complexity missing from the earlier studies.






















© Richard Ewing all rights reserved
Below are even more unsuccessful forays into making a palatable image of the threesome:

This one's downright ugly.


© Richard Ewing all rights reserved

The two images below are various patching together of vague compositional ideas which may take you a bit of time to sort out what's happening. The process of concluding this will be more rewarding than the images themselves, so if that doesn't work for you, then just skip this part.













© Richard Ewing all rights reserved










© Richard Ewing all rights reserved

Very early on are my beginning meanderings in this vein. I was playing with various directions and rhythms. I may revert to some aspects of these.















© Richard Ewing all rights reserved












© Richard Ewing all rights reserved