cell division as visual metaphor

Struggling to reconcile my emotional tensions between connection and separation when my oldest son left for college for the first time, I searched the physical world for a similar dichotomous phenomenon. "Mitosis" is the name of this body of work which is part of an ongoing series of hand drawn encaustic monotypes on paper. Like this biological term for cell division, these colorful images visually reference the connections we inherently have with one another. Like looking through the lens of a scientist's microscope, or peering into cells in a Petri dish, these images force the viewer to contemplate the ways in which we are bound and linked to our biological heritage both past, present and future.

Mitosis ROYGBIV #30, 13.5x17, encaustic monotype, graphite, oil stick
Mitosis ROYGBIV 31, 13.5x17, encaustic monotype, graphite, oil stick
Mitosis ROYGBIV #32, 13.5x17, encaustic monotype, graphite, oil stick
Mitosis ROYGBIV #33, 13.5x17, encaustic monotype, graphite, oil stick
Mitosis ROYGBIV #34, 13.5x17, encaustic monotype, graphite, oil stick
Mitosis ROYGBIV #35, 13.5x17, encaustic monotype, graphite, oil stick
Mitosis ROYGBIV #36, 13.5x17, encaustic monotype, graphite, oil stick
Mitosis ROYGBIV #37, 13.5x17, encaustic monotype, graphite, oil stick
Mitosis ROYGBIV #38, 13.5x17, encaustic monotype, graphite, oil stick
Mitosis ROYGBIV #39, 13.5x17, encaustic monotype, graphite, oil stick
Mitosis ROYGBIV #40, 13.5x17, encaustic monotype, graphite, oil stick
Mitosis ROYGBIV #41, 13.5x17, encaustic monotype, graphite, oil stick
Mitosis for Black Tie, 8x10, encaustic monotype, oil stick, on paper
M.BG-4, 18x18, encaustic monotype, graphite on paper
M.BG-2, 19x18, encaustic monotype, graphite on paper
M.PG-1, 12x10, encaustic monotype, graphite on paper
M.RM.2, 15x20, encaustic monotype, graphite on paper
M.YY-2, 12x10, encaustic monotype, graphite on paper
Six Mini Mitosi, 13x13, encaustic monotype, graphite on paper
Mitosis ROYGBIV 1-9, 4x7 each, encaustic monotype on paper
Mitosis Blues 1-8, 12x16, graphite, oil stick, watercolor on paper
21 Images