Blue Circle, Thick, Dark Green

24" x 24", oil on panel

This one is definitely lunar, and I don't remember what I did to get that blue. The green is textured, taking the look of grass at night. The odd thing is that it isn't naturalistic despite these references. The blue circle doesn't "read" as a pool of water, nor does the green "read" as sky. It looks as if there is a hole cut out of the lawn and the moon is there, at the end of some earthy telescope. Or maybe the blue moon is full in a sky made of the darkest moss instead of air. It seems still, yet as if something is about to happen, sort of like when you are watching the night sky for a shooting star. It's somewhat surreal.

Whatever it is, I enjoy the opposing shapes, contrast of light and dark, and feel of the whole thing. I bet there are a bunch of Wiccans out there who would appreciate it.

Happy New Year!

Nativity

digital image

Finished in time for Christmas...
[Well, I finished an oil on panel, 24" x 24" version after doing this Inkart piece. I couldn't get a good shot without a glare, so I'm going with posting the digital.]

The square format, attention to geometry, and cobalt blue reflect my admiration for Giotto. The picture is divided into quadrants by a god's eye type of form. The black pupil is the center of the painting. The star in the upper left echos the structure as does the flattened legs of the wooden trough. They stick out at that odd angle as a reference to the crucifixion. The star and the crucifixion are symbols of hope. The figures are eliminated except for the baby Jesus. Joseph and Mary are signified by two interlocking halos, like wedding bands. The lower left corner has three purple/blue cubes symbolizing the gifts from the three magi. The animals are reduced to one big ox or bull, which I have explored as a motif in other paintings. The bull is not a tame animal, so I think its place in the scene is to say that while the night is peaceful, there is danger in the future. God's eye sees all and life is vibrant nonetheless.

White Square, Green

24" x 24"
oil on panel

I'm on a green kick: spring, fresh starts, optimism, positive thinking, hope, renewal, all those things. The white square in the center echoes those ideas, evoking the potential of the blank page. It feels full rather than empty, alive in its organic, wavy edges. It is like a white sheet hanging on the line in May. The different greens are close in value (lightness/darkness) and so shimmer. The paint is applied so that the greens interact but one does not seem to dominate. The pieces feel like the closely-knit greens of moss.
It is rather the opposite of a department store experience, so if you are taking a break from your holiday preparations to check out this blog, soak it up. As for me, my cookies are in the oven, I'm studying for a quiz on HTML, I just packed my son's lunch, did laundry, put paintbrushes into soak, planned a play date, boxed a painting to be shipped to New Orleans, re-arranged carpooling, did the dishes, and let the dogs in and out and in and out. That is why the painting is necessary. It is pointless in helping me with all those things, except that making it and looking at it brings me back to center so I can keep going.
Another place to refresh is The Poetry Foundation; check it out.

Yellow Square, Blue, White

24" x 24", oil on panel

I like this one. I mean, I like my work, but this has an all-is-right-in-the-world feeling about it. Of course, all is not right in the world (I'm feeling a bit like Lemony Snicket, and yes, I've read all the Unfortunate Events), but it is good to have that feeling sometimes. Optimism. Optimism is hard to come by sometimes in the gray, cloudy winters of Western New York, so this is especially for my fellow Rochesterians. There might even be a little of Niagara Falls in this one.

The yellow square is a solid sun, a star that seems as though it will never die. The square shape makes us relate to the sun anew due to its unpredictability. At the same time, it is stable, secure, and very predictable, immovable, unchanging. It contrasts with the wildness of nature it is in and a part of. Surrounded by water, sea foam turns to air and clouds; water turns to sky; the yellow form stands tall on a base of blue sea. It breathes. A vertical piece of white measures against its right, connecting the white behind the square and it front, defining space. The viewer's eye is led in a circular motion and one can imagine the pupil dilating as it adjusts to the mid-day summer sun, soaking up the light.