When I was a teenager in the 60's I found René Magritte's image
La Durée poignardée
which, in literal translation, means
“ongoing time stabbed by a dagger”
I didn't know what that meant in either French...
or English... where the common translation is Time Transfixed
but the image was striking... like nothing I had seen before.
“What does this mean?”
I looked at our own fireplace and imagined the engine coming out of it...
smoke rolling up our chimney.
It was delightful... but why?
Can I do this?
...and thus it starts.
“Mr. Koi” follows directly.
You may have noticed that this isn't quite Time Transfixed
(check out the real one at Time Transfixed)
The owners of the copyright wanted a bit too much for me to include it here
and I thought.... “I can draw that”... at least enough to get the idea across
It turns out that René's fireplace shadows are not physically possible...
his candlestick doesn't even cast a shadow... and it's reflection is the front again...
but that's OK... He is still my inspiration.