​Until the Last Petal Falls
Lisa Grennell
Screenprint and reverse hand painting on Perspex.
   
One of my most personal works, inspired by my grandfather and my son – two generations touched by war in very different ways.
 
My grandfather carried the quiet weight of his experiences for much of his life, and years later my son would fight in Afghanistan. Between them exists a thread of sacrifice, silence, courage and love that deeply shaped this piece.
The childlike figure represents innocence standing in the shadow of conflict. The red poppy, held gently against the darkness, becomes a symbol of remembrance but also of fragility (of the emotional cost carried home by those who serve) The fallen petal below speaks to the parts of a person slowly surrendered through war: innocence, peace, softness and sometimes words themselves.
This artwork is not about glory or politics. It is about the human heart. It’s about the families who wait, the lives forever changed and the invisible wounds many soldiers carry long after returning home.
Creating this piece was my way of honouring the men I love (one from the past, one from the present) and acknowledging the silent space where grief, pride, fear and love all coexist.
This artwork is a reminder that although war leaves lasting shadows, love continues to move through generations… until the last petal falls. 

---