This is another new painting, an 18″ by 18″ canvas piece that was an immediate enigma to me even as it was barely half-finished on the easel. I was drawn strongly to it but couldn’t put my finger on what it was that I was seeing.
It has a different feel from the other work in this semi-series of paintings that I’ve been working on as of late. The sky has a paler, almost desaturated, feel than most of the other pieces which pops against the darker silhouette-like forms of the landscape. This combination of color and the twists of the swirling rays create, for me, a mesmerizing effect and I find myself mentally clawing towards the whiteness of the sun/moon.
This newer work lends itself to thoughts of great mysteries, of greater forces that move beyond our comprehension, and this piece is perhaps one of the most telling examples so far. That sky seems oblivious to the life that exists in the pale light it casts to it. The tree– I chose to go with a darker green instead of my normal red to maintain the silhouette effect– seems desirous of joining itself to those forces, of unlocking those mysteries held above it. But despite climbing to the highest points it remains anchored to its terrestrial existence.
But it feels the pale light and still reaches for it without knowing why. There’s something there, something that both calms and excites action, but the character of the tree just can’t quite touch upon what that thing is.
Just like the appeal I feel for this painting…
The title for this piece is, of course, The Enigma.
Redtree Times 