The Time That Is Given Us Painting

'The Time That Is Given Us' is the first of two still lifes, painted in the tradition of Philippe De Champaigne . A child's dummy (pacifier) and a human skull face off upon a toppled monolith. The monolith represents a human lifespan with a dummy at its beginning, representing birth and a skull at the end representing death. One light source shines from behind the dummy and through that object, illuminating the skull; signifying that the 'light of life' inevitably ends in death. To further emphasis this, the monolith is placed in a corner, with a wall (dead end) behind the skull. 'The Time That Is Given Us' takes it's name from 'The Lord of The Rings' Gandalf: "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us" and is painted in oils with attention to detail.