Sandra Clyne

Traditional anatomy skeleton drawings like those of Leonardo Da Vinci have always enchanted me. The bones I especially like to draw, the cranium, coccyx, and the vertebrae, remind me of little sculptures.

 Drawing bones makes me feel connected to the origins of humanity. People have inhabited this earth for about 300,000 years, but we’ve only been creating art for about 70,000 years and we’ve only been writing for about 5,000 years. So, the very first humans couldn’t leave us texts or images to describe for us what it felt like to be newly human. What they have left us is their bones.

 My studies of the human cranium connect with my love for portraiture. El Día de los Muertos (1) and (2) are compositions that reflect the Mexican (Aztec) tradition of remembering the dead (on October 31 – November 2).  Traditional images imbue a calavera or human skull with a celebratory quality that reflects the spiritual journey of the departed. Primary colors such as the light toned reds and blues I’ve selected underscore the festive spirit of the celebration.

 What ties it all together is my seeking to take a deep dive into understanding the human condition.