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!

Light in the Shadows

Light in the Shadows
6" X 6"
Oil Pastel on Black Paper

This little moment called to me. I just happened to look out my window and glimpsed this delicate little silhouette. I'm called to moments where the shadows define the light. The way this crape myrtle swayed in front of the lit window in the night breeze made me drop what I was doing and capture its likeness.

Tree Branches

Tree Branches

Watercolor
14" X 11"

I love the space created in the shade of a tree. It's a secluded area free from the heat of the day. At times while painting this, a mockingbird would run along the fence and hop through the leaves. I don't usually work in watercolor, but it's nice to mix it up every once in a while. This spot seemed so peaceful, I just had to paint it.

Sunlit Thunderheads

I did this pastel of clouds in the few moments I had before the sun set and the thunderheads grew. There was so much contrast and shifting shadows that it was a rush to try and capture it all. I'll have to create a series of these clouds-there's just so many here in Texas, and they shift into even greater versions of themselves every second.

Summer Shadows

Detail:
This one took several sittings before completion. Usually, I paint en plein air and end it once the day is over. With this one, I spent some time in the studio adding new elements and making some finishing touches. The passing rain clouds in the distance appeared of their own accord and moved themselves across the landscape. It felt like the painting itself was coming to life on its own, and all I really had to do was help it grow. Looking at it now reminds me of a song that was important to me in childhood called Storms in Africa by Enya (I found a video of it on youtube here) The way the music crescendos and then fades reminds me of passing thunderstorms like the one in this painting, and like the ones that have been happening here in Texas since the days I painted this.

Summer Sunset

It was just one of those moments that catches you by surprise. I had set out to do a Texas landscape, and originally started drawing a different part of the view. I just happened to turn around for a second and then there it was, this brilliant moment just staring at me. This is what art is to me: it's those moments when you know you've just seen something unique, something that's never happened before and, unless you capture it, won't ever happen again.

(p.s. better image coming soon)