Painting: The Village Rests Under the Promise of the Harvest Moon

The Village Rests Under the Promise of the Harvest Moon
56 H x 37 W x 0 D

The painting began abstract with the green drips and soon evolved into a story-like image. The full dimensions of the canvas edge to edge is 60 H x 41.25 W x 0 D (inches). The approximate dimensions after stretching it over stretcher bars is 56 x 37 inches. Ships rolled in a tube.

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Please leave a comment with your thoughts on this painting.

Progress on Big Turquoise

Big Turquoise painting in progress
Acrylic on Canvas, 60 x 41.25 inches

“The position of the artist is humble. He is essentially a channel.”

— Piet Mondrian

I’m making slow progress on the big turquoise abstract painting. It seems to have a life of its own now. The composition is developing into a story. What story do you see?

From my Art Journal on June 6, 2023

I dream of a free-spirited approach to applying paint in active, spontaneous ways. However, my inner painter or expression seems to prefer curvy delineated shapes. The painting’s process is one more of considering the next step, feeling, and waiting for a response, a nudge, or guidance on the next move.

In Process Painting - Turquoise Painting

 

Big Turquoise (working title) in Process
41.25 x 60 inches

I began with a turquoise background. Then came the green drips, which became outlined by Burnt Umber Light. After that, I filled in with pale shades of blue and yellow. The painting evolved to the point you see it now. Enjoy the quick, short video of painting detail. 

Stay tuned as I complete this painting.

The Making of a Painting - River Spirit

Painting on location in Camp Verde, AZ

 

“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.”

- Rumi

There's nothing as refreshing as finding a river in the desert. After five years of living in Camp Verde, Arizona, I discovered this location just across the parking lot from our local library. Wow! I was stunned. The part of town I live in is pure desert - hot and dry. It's gloriously beautiful with the mountain ranges surrounding me. The hiking is spectacular. But it's dry! Having a beautiful oasis nearby is so refreshing - the water and the green color are healing and quenching.

Painting on location in Camp Verde, Arizona USA

I grabbed a piece I had worked on years ago and was never really happy with it. I used it as the background for this painting. The intensity of the red-orange backdrop compliments the colors of the blues and greens in the work.

The painting might not be finished. It's sitting so I can contemplate its completion.

“A dream is like a river ever changing as it flows and a dreamer's just a vessel that must follow where it goes.”      

- Garth Brooks

Me, Mary Rush at the river painting in Camp Verde, Arizona
Photo credit Jill Langley.

The Making of Painting - Life Cycle

 

Life Cycle

• 14.25 x 14 x 0.125 in

Process

I was experimenting with pattern to create a sense of depth. I used a leaf stencil I had made from another painting to add the gold metallic leaves adding another layer of depth.

The Making of the Painting: Flow

 

Flow

• Mixed Media on Canvas
• 82 x 49 x 0 in
• Flow, Mixed Media on Canvas, 82 x 49 x 0 in (full size), 78 x 45 inches is the approximate stretched size.

The initial idea was to show flow from the top of the painting to the bottom. The painting took a few turns in achieving this goal. In the end, it does. It's up to the viewer to decide the rest of the story. And if it is about flow to them or something else.

“Abundance is a flow of energy through you.” Steve Rother

"As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit."–Emmanuel Teney

Description

This painting was the largest I’ve painted so far. I didn’t accomplish it without growing pains.

In process

Process

The logistical process was a challenge from the beginning. Oh, the angst. Ha! From deciding the exact size to cut the canvas to reconfiguring my hanging system, I had to do the preparatory work before putting paint on the canvas.

Once that was over, how to paint the vision that came to me about this painting? Flow. That was the initial idea. I wondered how I could achieve the feeling of flow without actually painting water.

"Climbing is the same: recognizing that you are a flow. The purpose of the flow is to keep on flowing, not looking for a peak or utopia but staying in the flow. It is not a moving up but a continuous flowing; you move up to keep the flow going. There is no possible reason for climbing except the climbing itself; it is a self-communication.”― Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Maybe there are many ways to understand “flow.” Maybe there are other meanings behind this painting to the viewer. So, I’ll stop my side of the story and let you decide what it’s about and how it achieves that.

Your Turn

Let me know what you think. Post a comment below. Thanks!