Gods of Small Moments
Ephemera; the Goddess of Short Term Memory
You’ve likely encountered Ephemera before, though of course you wouldn’t remember it. You needn’t feel bad, she doesn’t remember you either. Ephemera is the embodiment of short term memory, of fleeting passions and temporary pains. She exists wholly in the present, taking in the fullness of life through winged eyes, but her body is hollow, unable to hold onto any sensation for more than a few moments. It is a gift, at times, to live like her. To not be burdened by anything that has come before, or anything that will come after. But it can be a curse, too, to forget so quickly something that might have been important. She is a constant, with all of us, and can be a blessing when there is something worth forgetting, but she is a fickle god to devote too much of yourself to. Some things, after all, are worth remembering.
This painting is first in a series of original deities and demons. These mythic figures are manifestations of my mental landscapes, personified and anthropomorphized to give face to the emotional states we deal with (or strive for) in our every day lives. Ephemera was painted with gouache and alchohol ink on cold press watercolor paper.
To purchase a print of Ephemera, visit Ravensgate’s Online Shop in the link below. All prints are archival and come with a lore card and a signed backing board with which it can be framed.
Deities and Demons
With deep displeasure, may I introduce you to Tenebrōsus, the Demon of Daylight Savings.
If you’re being generous, you could say they’re only borrowing the sun. If you’re feeling spiteful, you could accuse them of theft. Either way, the Demon of Daylight Savings arrives with pedantic punctuality each fall and revokes an hour of sunlight from every evening, to be returned only when the trees are once more ready to blossom. They are a fabricated being, a concept given life by Man as he tries to bend Time to suit his schedule. They are a boon to the early risers, to be sure, but even that is short-lived as this demon thrives in the dark, guided only by the moon as it gleams through the bare branches of Tenebrōsus’ lantern. Look for their return, and do not think of them too harshly— after all, they are simply fulfilling the task we created them to do.*
*Alternatively, hang this effigy upon your wall and throw darts at it. Seasonal depression sucks and Tenebrōsus definitely makes it worse, whether that was their intent or not.
