Stage 12: The Legacy
After we transition, we leave behind a legacy in the hearts and minds of those we loved and
touched in one way or another as we acted out the Stages of Life together. And the quality of
the memories we leave behind is created today, not yesterday or tomorrow.
I chose to depict this with photographs. All through our lives, using snapshots to
memorialize an event is commonplace. Amazingly, we do understand that time doesn’t stop
for our pleasure and we want to revisit memorable events or people when we no longer have
a physical connection to that time or person. “Time marches on,” as in....(CLICK FOR MORE)
After we transition, we leave behind a legacy in the hearts and minds of those we loved and
touched in one way or another as we acted out the Stages of Life together. And the quality of
the memories we leave behind is created today, not yesterday or tomorrow.
I chose to depict this with photographs. All through our lives, using snapshots to
memorialize an event is commonplace. Amazingly, we do understand that time doesn’t stop
for our pleasure and we want to revisit memorable events or people when we no longer have
a physical connection to that time or person. “Time marches on,” as in....(CLICK FOR MORE)
 |
The 12 Stages of LifeTM
Click on Each for more Detail:
| Copyright Bruce Carnahan All Rights Reserved |
Stage 1: Birth
It has been said that all of Life is a play and we are but actors on a stage. Thus, the name for
this series, "The 12 Stages of Life". Each of us does not necessarily play on each Stage,
some of us may improvise a bit. But I have tried to prioritize 12 Stages that we as humans
experience collectively, while perhaps not individually. These are the 12 that I have
personally interpreted as being experienced by more of us than less of us.
Here is a young father who has just assisted in the birth of his new new child. This drawing is
a celebration of the very beginning of the human experienc...(CLICK FOR MORE)
It has been said that all of Life is a play and we are but actors on a stage. Thus, the name for
this series, "The 12 Stages of Life". Each of us does not necessarily play on each Stage,
some of us may improvise a bit. But I have tried to prioritize 12 Stages that we as humans
experience collectively, while perhaps not individually. These are the 12 that I have
personally interpreted as being experienced by more of us than less of us.
Here is a young father who has just assisted in the birth of his new new child. This drawing is
a celebration of the very beginning of the human experienc...(CLICK FOR MORE)
Stage 2: First Day of School
The first day of school, along with daycare, is one of the first barriers between child and
parents. It is the first of many separations.
In many ways, it is like the emotions a child experiences when they are born. Torn
from the warm familiar security of time spent with parents and placed on a strange
school bus, fear of the unknown is only natural. This fear can lea...(CLICK FOR MORE)
The first day of school, along with daycare, is one of the first barriers between child and
parents. It is the first of many separations.
In many ways, it is like the emotions a child experiences when they are born. Torn
from the warm familiar security of time spent with parents and placed on a strange
school bus, fear of the unknown is only natural. This fear can lea...(CLICK FOR MORE)
Stage 3: First Love
The excitement of that first love is surrounded by memories that will last a lifetime, revisited in
our minds again and again down through the years. At this point, we still have all the magic of
a small child; any fairytale ending is possible—and probable.
I chose a football game as the backdrop for this picture because for many, it, and sports in
general are a substantial focus of the adolescent years. Also, a cheerleader and football
player seem to serve in the minds of many as a stereotypical high school couple, seen in
high profile wandering the school hallways attached to each other in so...(CLICK FOR MORE)
The excitement of that first love is surrounded by memories that will last a lifetime, revisited in
our minds again and again down through the years. At this point, we still have all the magic of
a small child; any fairytale ending is possible—and probable.
I chose a football game as the backdrop for this picture because for many, it, and sports in
general are a substantial focus of the adolescent years. Also, a cheerleader and football
player seem to serve in the minds of many as a stereotypical high school couple, seen in
high profile wandering the school hallways attached to each other in so...(CLICK FOR MORE)
Stage 4: Graduation
As we progress through Life, from Act I to Act II and so on, we are constantly graduating
from one stage to the next. If we live—if we truly live—graduation is a process, not a
ceremony.
In this drawing we see three buddies who have co-starred together on the previous
Stages of Life. This picture depicts both their shared pa...(CLICK FOR MORE)
As we progress through Life, from Act I to Act II and so on, we are constantly graduating
from one stage to the next. If we live—if we truly live—graduation is a process, not a
ceremony.
In this drawing we see three buddies who have co-starred together on the previous
Stages of Life. This picture depicts both their shared pa...(CLICK FOR MORE)
Stage 5: Marriage
Marriage is not a Stage of Life that everyone dances on. Some never experience it, either by
willful choice or by unwilling misfortune. But I needed to choose Stages that most people do
experience from time to time in order to allow the largest number of people possible identify
with this series. And the vast majority of humans do experience marriage at some point or
another.
In this drawing, I tried to convey the anticipation instead of the actual event. Oftentimes our
emotions before the event are more memorable than the event itse....(CLICK FOR MORE)
Marriage is not a Stage of Life that everyone dances on. Some never experience it, either by
willful choice or by unwilling misfortune. But I needed to choose Stages that most people do
experience from time to time in order to allow the largest number of people possible identify
with this series. And the vast majority of humans do experience marriage at some point or
another.
In this drawing, I tried to convey the anticipation instead of the actual event. Oftentimes our
emotions before the event are more memorable than the event itse....(CLICK FOR MORE)
Stage 6: First Child
As with marriage, having a child is not a Stage of Life for everyone. But most adults do
have children. And having that first child is a life-changing event like no other.
After a lifetime of fending for yourself and learning to take care of yourself, you are
instantly and forever connected to another human being that depends upon you to take
care of him or her. As adults, it is an act of sainthood to choose t....(CLICK FOR MORE)
As with marriage, having a child is not a Stage of Life for everyone. But most adults do
have children. And having that first child is a life-changing event like no other.
After a lifetime of fending for yourself and learning to take care of yourself, you are
instantly and forever connected to another human being that depends upon you to take
care of him or her. As adults, it is an act of sainthood to choose t....(CLICK FOR MORE)
Stage 7: Career
After our hormones settle down, and our priorities change, we begin to realize we are
providers, not just for ourselves, but for those we love and who depend on us. That is
the motivation for some to begin a serious career. For others, a career is simply the
challenge of achieving, of finding something you have a passion for, in which you can
pursue excellence. For still others, it is a mixture....(CLICK FOR MORE)
After our hormones settle down, and our priorities change, we begin to realize we are
providers, not just for ourselves, but for those we love and who depend on us. That is
the motivation for some to begin a serious career. For others, a career is simply the
challenge of achieving, of finding something you have a passion for, in which you can
pursue excellence. For still others, it is a mixture....(CLICK FOR MORE)
Stage 8: Retirement
Retirement is something many people work their entire careers for. It is one of the most
desired Stages of Life to dance upon. I wanted to depict it as a celebration.
In this drawing, the man has devised a ritual to commemorate his retirement by building a
bonfire to burn his bridges. In a sense, he’s attempting to burn his past, but can we really do
that? It is as much a part of us as this present moment. In fact, the past has brought us to this
very specific moment of our present. Nonetheless, most of us attempt....(CLICK FOR MORE)
Retirement is something many people work their entire careers for. It is one of the most
desired Stages of Life to dance upon. I wanted to depict it as a celebration.
In this drawing, the man has devised a ritual to commemorate his retirement by building a
bonfire to burn his bridges. In a sense, he’s attempting to burn his past, but can we really do
that? It is as much a part of us as this present moment. In fact, the past has brought us to this
very specific moment of our present. Nonetheless, most of us attempt....(CLICK FOR MORE)
Stage 9: Reflection
There comes a time when we realize that we don’t have as many years left to live as
those we have already lived. Suddenly, or gradually, we begin to reflect on the
decisions we have made, the memories we have left, and how they affected who we
are and where we are right now.
We pause, as this man has done, to look back and reminisc....(CLICK FOR MORE)
There comes a time when we realize that we don’t have as many years left to live as
those we have already lived. Suddenly, or gradually, we begin to reflect on the
decisions we have made, the memories we have left, and how they affected who we
are and where we are right now.
We pause, as this man has done, to look back and reminisc....(CLICK FOR MORE)
Stage 10: Penance
This is the Stage where we pay for the sins of our youth. Some of us pay physically, some
of us pay spiritually. There’s that famous scene from "Godfather III" when Michael Corleone,
as an old man, sits reflecting all alone in the courtyard, then collapses. He was paying
spiritual penance. But for this woman in the drawing, her penance is physical.
We see the ravages of a lifetime of doing who-knows-what finally wreaking havoc on her
body. Struggling to sit upright and perhaps shuffle slowly to the restroom, the back of her
hospital gown opens like a curtain in a play to reveal a tattoo from....(CLICK FOR MORE)
This is the Stage where we pay for the sins of our youth. Some of us pay physically, some
of us pay spiritually. There’s that famous scene from "Godfather III" when Michael Corleone,
as an old man, sits reflecting all alone in the courtyard, then collapses. He was paying
spiritual penance. But for this woman in the drawing, her penance is physical.
We see the ravages of a lifetime of doing who-knows-what finally wreaking havoc on her
body. Struggling to sit upright and perhaps shuffle slowly to the restroom, the back of her
hospital gown opens like a curtain in a play to reveal a tattoo from....(CLICK FOR MORE)
Stage 11: Transition
This Stage can be pretty disturbing for many people. I choose to think of it as
consoling. I call it Transition because that is exactly what it is. We are transitioning from
one existence into another, from one Stage of Life to another.
However, some would argue that after this Stage, the curtain is forever drawn. It is the
end of the play. Consider this: are we really our bodies? Or....(CLICK FOR MORE)
This Stage can be pretty disturbing for many people. I choose to think of it as
consoling. I call it Transition because that is exactly what it is. We are transitioning from
one existence into another, from one Stage of Life to another.
However, some would argue that after this Stage, the curtain is forever drawn. It is the
end of the play. Consider this: are we really our bodies? Or....(CLICK FOR MORE)
GALLERY
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| *What about that LOGO I see over each Picture? * Please note the Circular Copyright Mark you see overlapping each Picture only appears online for protection against electronic internet theft. The lithograph prints you purchase do not have any such mark. |
 |
Use this Button to Share
this Page with a Friend
| About the Artist |