Ubasute

"...refers to the custom allegedly performed in Japan in the distant past, whereby an infirm or elderly relative was carried to a mountain, or some other remote, desolate place, and left there to die, either by dehydration, starvation, or exposure."
Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia

My latest and last assignment in my portfolio class was to illustrate "The End." What it's the end of? Well, that was for us to decide. Coincidentally, my teacher in human nature mentioned how Inuits and Japanese have folklore concerning the abandonment of elders in the mountains or out on the ice. The idea haunted me and seemed like a perfect topic for the piece.

Also, you might see that I'm trying to play around with a signature. For the longest time I've never dreamed of signing my own work and even now, it's been added later on. In the realm of commercial artwork, it seems preposterous to sign your name. Instead, the most you usually get is credit in the fine print. Certainly better than no credit at all, of course...