Mid afternoon in the summer heat. The family is at Pender Islands, Beaumont
Marine Park. Camping with friends. It’s July long weekend, Canada Day, 2001.
.
A favored subject of mine, Hanna, age seven, is collecting more jellyfish for the
communal bucket. Out of view, all the children partake of the right of passage,
practiced worldwide. Wherever children and jellyfish dwell together. They’re very
careful not to hurt. Children of today are taught to respect life and nature. To
have this kind of power over life is a test of that developing moral character.
They all seem to rise to the challenge. They give the jellyfish names and are
careful not to keep them in the bucket for too long. As a fly- fisherman and
conservationist, I’m pleased and proud of this catch-and-release behavior.
As a parent we tell the children that the mommy and daddy jellyfish will be
missing their children. Instinctively the children understand the pain of separation.
Imagining themselves in jellyfish shoes. It’s a hollow feeling for us all.
.
As the cove is very sheltered, it provides reflections of far shore trees in the water.
The sun is to the south and the light is made stronger by the contrast of these
dark reflections in the background.
.
I was intrigued by the pose of the subject in “Handful”. For me it evokes a feeling
of compassion, through delicate positioning of Hannas hands. For me, there’s
also a strong spiritual quality to the pose, it’s almost subservient. This spiritual
feeling was intentionally exaggerated by my choices in composition. An oppressive
downward view, using the open space in the top third of the canvas as a weight
pressing down on Hanna. I enjoy the interplay of spirituality and the children’s
reverence for life that I’ve tried to present here.
.
Mark Heine