I always thought that people, who are vibrantly individual creatures, deserve more than a mere formal ritual at their farewell, so I began to write individual pieces to help say farewell in a more personal way. Then it became clear that others would like to use some of these, so they have been generalised, to a degree, in order for them to be suitable for different people. Barbara and I also think that this quirky world we live in deserves more than to be recorded in digital form, with images 'archived' on computers, rarely to be seen again. So we have been painting, carving, and drawing the things that touch us. Our hope is that these words and pictures will bring comfort and encouragement to those who use them. - Robert Allan