The uses of solitude

This is an illustration for the book "The Uses Of Solitude" by Anthony Storr. The first image relates to a part of the essay that talks about the way people deal with the death of a loved one. The British, with their culture of the 'stiff upper lip' applaud people for carrying on with their daily lives through times of grief which leads to pent up anxiety and an inability to face their real emotions. The second image illustrates a case study of a scientist who was manning a weather base in the Antarctic and insisted on doing so alone in an attempt to find pure solitude.




They are painted in acrylic on Fabriano paper, i reckon the first image would make a good screen print.