kayshasiemens on DeviantArthttps://www.deviantart.com/kayshasiemens/art/Tempus-Vinctus-209049758kayshasiemens

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Tempus Vinctus

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This is something I've had started but on the backburner for a couple months, and finally buckled down and finished yesterday.

I don't really want to belabor it with too much explanation; I guess I feel like if it's not clear enough on its own, then I've done my job badly. But if anyone is curious, I'll be happy to expound on my own thoughts about it.


Watercolor on Strathmore illustration board; 5.5x11 inches.




EDIT: in answer to the [quite flattering] interest in my own explanation of this, I offer the following list. It's not so much an explanation, I suppose, as a few of the various thoughts that went into this. I don't necessarily want to pin its meaning down too firmly to either myself or others.

- The in-progress filename was 'Time Tethered', but I changed it to Latin to reference the familiar 'tempus fugit'/'time flies' - further underscored with the wings. The Latin translates to 'time bound', 'bound' being a perfect passive participle for the grammar-savvy among you.
- The figure is bound, preventing its flight, but in its loss of flight it becomes an essential part of the clock: the pendulum, the very thing that paces this type of clock's ticking. So perhaps a message of letting limitations enable new roles? Whether or not the clock is ticking is unclear though, as technically the pendulum needs to be swinging. ~konekoangel's comparison to the Hanged Man of the tarot is also apt - google it if you're unfamiliar with that card's possible meanings; I know I'll just botch them if I try.
- The clock reads a little after 11:00, referencing the phrase 'eleventh hour', that is, something happening *just* shy of too late.
- The mask does resemble Venetian and other traditional masks, but I learned that after already drawing it; it was intended as an extension of the bird imagery (think beak not nose). The purple color and crown-points indicate the figure as a symbol rather than any particular person, as well as another layer of possible meaning, i.e. the idea of royalty (of a sort) in a position of (voluntary or involuntary? that is indeed the question) vulnerability. It is eyeless for anonymizing effect, and also as a reference to blindfolded Justice and other similar symbols.

...so like I said, not so much an explanation as a list of some of my personal thoughts on the piece. I'm very curious to hear what others get out of it, even/especially if different from the above. ^____^
Image size
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skycladarts's avatar
I'd love to model a pose like this, great concept!