Nepenthe holds a deep and very personal meaning for me. I first became aware of the word when reading Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, The Raven, as a child. The line was “Respite – respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore;” nepenthe referring to an elixir that casts away grief or sadness.
Later in childhood I became acquainted with the iconic restaurant, Nepenthe, located on the Big Sur coastline – a place that would come to represent beauty, connection and wellness for my struggling family of origin. My mother, sisters and I would spend special occasions there when we could, though I don’t think that we ever actually dined there. For me it was a purely poetic place, and like its name, one that made me forget the sorrows that plagued our struggling family.
With my recent oil painting, however, Nepenthe takes on a new meaning, celebrating the alchemic power of a mother’s love –
A love that breathes life into the paper birds she makes and sets them free.
NEPENTHE 47′ x 39′ oil on canvas
In the hopes of sharing Nepenthe with a larger audience I have recently created a new series of limited edition giclee prints from the original oil painting. It was a lengthy and challenging process, but so worth the wait. It is the largest print in my collection so far, and it is absolutely magical. Pictured below I am signing the first print, AP 1/20 at the Marco Fine Arts printing press.
NEPENTHE GICLEE PRINT (47′ x 39′ plus 2″ white border)
Please email me if you are interested in ordering one of only twenty Artist Proof giclee prints of Nepenthe at tiffany@tiffanygrahamart.com <3
