Steven Baines oil paintings aim to be
metaphors for the passage of time, the brevity of human life. They continue the tradition of Vanitas and Momento Mori paintings.
However they are not heavy or morbid. They are optimistic and humorous, like sad, dark lyrics in a catchy lighthearted melody.
The lighthearted sensibility is often emphasized by a soft colored pallet forming a space for figurative images which have
been chosen for their symbolic value to represent the fragile and transitory nature of life: luxuriantly plumed birds, moths,
ripe fruit, bubbles, and even UFOs.
