Memento Mori

Hello!

It’s been a while since I last wrote anything on this site, so I thought I would share an update on what I’ve been up to recently.

I launched this website a few months ago to create a home for my photography from Cape Cod. Over the years, I had amassed a large collection of images and wanted to finally do something meaningful with them, especially now that I have stepped away from my previous career to pursue a more creative life.

This felt like the right place to begin.

When I really stopped to think about who I am, I realised that photography is not my only creative outlet. I have always loved making things. I sketch often and, in the past, I painted as well. I would never claim to be an artist, but I always found a great deal of enjoyment in the process of creating.

More recently, I rediscovered printmaking.

There was something deeply appealing about the process of carving a design by hand and then producing multiple unique prints from it. It had been a very long time since I had done any printmaking, not since my days at art college, in fact. Reflecting on that made me feel a little sad, as I realised how much my working life had, in many ways, pulled me away from creativity. I reached a point where I no longer wanted to keep postponing these things and instead wanted to make the most of the time I have.

I wanted to stay within the theme of Cape Cod, as I believe constraints often help drive creativity. So, I began looking back through some of the less obvious subjects I had photographed over the years and found myself drawn to the old Puritan gravestones scattered across the Cape.

In particular, I became fascinated by the winged skulls carved into many of them.

I spent some time researching their history and discovered that these symbols are examples of Memento Mori, a Latin phrase meaning “remember that you must die”. At its core, it is a reminder that our time is limited and that we should use it well.

That idea resonated with me deeply.

I knew almost immediately that I wanted to use these symbols as inspiration for a block print series.

And so the process began.

Rather impulsively, I visited my local art store and invested in a set of chisels, printing ink, carving blocks, and a large pad of quality paper. I started sketching elements of the Memento Mori imagery that stood out to me and gradually combined them into a composition that felt right.

Sketching elements from the gravestones.

Working sketches to understand the carving process

Transfer sketch ready to be applied to the printing block.

I wanted to move quickly and maintain momentum. I know how easy it can be to overthink creative work and become paralysed by perfectionism, so I gave myself just three days to complete the project and made sure there was good music playing in the background throughout.

Once the initial sketch was complete, I transferred and scaled it by hand onto large sheets of gridded paper to help maintain symmetry and better understand how the final carving might work. When I was satisfied with the design, I transferred it onto the printing block and refined the drawing using fine liners, varying the line thickness to create a greater sense of depth.

Then came the carving.

This was by far the most nerve-racking stage of the process. Before starting, I carefully marked which areas were to remain and which areas needed to be carved away to avoid making irreversible mistakes. Looking back, I can already see plenty of things I would approach differently next time, but overall I was pleased with how it progressed.

Image transferred to printing block.

Once the carving was complete, I rolled on the black ink and produced a test print to identify areas that needed further work. After making a few adjustments and refinements, I ran another test print, followed by several smaller tweaks to the finer details.

Starting to carve the printing block.

Finally, I produced ten prints as my first limited print series, which are now available for sale on the website.

Final prints, signed, dated and numbered one through ten.

Moving forward, I want to continue experimenting with different carving and printing materials. The block material I used for this series worked reasonably well, but it was slightly softer than I would have liked and did not hold detail quite as sharply as I had hoped. Still, the entire experience was a learning process, and as I continue to grow and improve, I hope the prints will evolve alongside me.

Thanks so much for visiting, and remember to use your time.

G.