Claire De Lune-At Cypress Grill

Claire De Lune (Homage to Claude Debussy)

Oil Pastel and Oil Sticks
26" X 40"

I did this painting a year ago, but I'm putting it up in celebration of the fact that I've made a print of it that's currently hanging up at Cypress Grill.

See:

For those interested, here's my long-winded explanation of the work. Take it or leave it:

The Spiritual Meaning
I started with the moon as the central image, and all other images flowed from that. I was pleased with how the sky in the middle became an expression of the "depths of eternity" as it surrealistically blended it into the rose that surrounds it. This is my visualization of the "moon in a dewdrop," which to not only me means that are we capable of experiencing enlightenment, but that the depths of the universe are within us all. We truly have the power of the universe within. We are whole.
With this at the core of the piece, the rest of the elements become echoes. The ripples caused by the rose on the surface of the water create the four surrounding scenes. Along with the circular theme of the piece, the sunset in the top right and the sunrise in the lower left mirror each other and create a cyclical sense of time and continuity. From one day to the next, the sun orbits around this moon in a rose, meaning that the divine light within us truly is the center of the universe. The horizon lines of the other two elements help to finish the outline of the "world" with the moon at its center, and create depth within the work.

The Musical Interpretation
When I created this piece, I had in mind the progression of Claire de Lune. This is represented by the changing figure that moves throughout the spaces. Like us, it is very adaptive, and fits naturally in whatever space it inhabits. It starts as the first couple measures of Claire de Lune, and as those notes mesh into melodies in the song, they flow into the second part of Claire de Lune. Here, the strings of chords in the melody create ocean waves. The notes manifest as sea birds in flight and soar on into the next part of the song, where at first they falter, afraid to fly without wings in their new human form. Then, realizing it was their inner strength that really propelled them, they soar and spin in this new section, where the melody's chord progressions act as stair steps and lead into the sky. Next, they dive into the sea and become dolphins, soaring through both sky and sea. Here they mimic the more rapid chord progressions that come next and swiftly go from both the bass cliff to the treble. They soar back into the sky for the next part, calmly floating above the rushing stream as dragonflies. Here the melody becomes more subdued and takes on the quality of a murmuring brook, until at last it comes full circle back to its original chords, but with a more bittersweet tinge. Here, finally, the dragonflies turn back to their original state as notes, and the whole cycle begins anew.

I've given my thoughts on the artwork as I created it, but to me art is in the eye of the beholder, so all interpretations are valid. I hope my ideas don't limit your meanings for this image, but only add to their possibility.
Thank you so much for your interest!