Mors Innocentiae: the death of innocence

9” x 12” on archival paper.

Stargazer lily, forget me not, blue lotus, and bleeding heart. Five kitten skills follow the stem of the lilies. This piece recalls an event in the artists life, when five kittens were recovered on their property. All alive and struggling to stay fed, Everett reflected on how the kittens must kill their own house-cat innocence to be able to survive in the chilly autumn wild. Stargazer lily symbolizes the mourning of the naïveté that must be lost, and the forget me not begs the viewer to remember our own fall from innocence. Bleeding heart speaks for itself, while blue lotus symbolizes a coming into wisdom. The meaning and it’s reflection are:

“To survive we must kill the child within”// “but we will never forget it’s joy”