Woodruff’s good friend, photographer Scott Heiser, was dying in the hospital. Although his death was harrowing, Scott remained brave as his body transformed in ways Woodruff had not thought possible. After Scott’s death, Woodruff began a series of 26 paintings—an alphabet of grief—in the form of scrolls, treasure maps, or floor cloths from some obscure secret fraternal society. With attendant birds as a form of Greek chorus, the series was created in order from Figure A to Figure X. Woodruff allowed himself to incorporate imagery from many sources, including cartoons, rebuses, freemasonry, and game boards. In viewing the entire series, the traditional stages of grieving are hidden beneath the “skin” of each scroll.
