Cosmic Dance II
Cedar Lee October 9th, 2008
You may remember my recent painting, Cosmic Dance:
This is Cosmic Dance II.
As you can see, the sun, the moon and the swirls of color are all in the same positions in the sky, but the color scheme is quite different–in place of reds and oranges are soft purples and peach tones. Overall, I think the resulting effect is quite feminine.
The bands of color in the sky were painted with detail and precision. I think it’s interesting to paint light–one of the most intangible substances I can think of, in such a solid way.
As I painted these wispy ribbons of light reaching their way across the sky, some of them told me where they wanted to go. Some of them began to twist, curl, and reach in delightfully unexpected ways.
In the inky blue-black parts of the sky untouched by the dance of the sun and the moon, you can see a thick sprinkling of stars. (Which I literally splattered onto the canvas!)
This painting includes the constellation Pisces, which I intended to stand out prominently from the rest of the stars. I like how the wisps of color to its right resemble two delicate little hands, showcasing the constellation Vanna White-style, or perhaps cradling it in a motherly manner.
Unlike the rest of the paintings I’ve made recently, this one is a seascape. The colors of the sky are reflected off the gentle waves of the ocean.
The closer you get to the painting, the more you can see how the individual brush strokes come together to create the larger image. I wish I could convey how much better a painting is in person than in photographs.
This is how it looks on a wall:
I’ve made a video of the painting process for this one, at the request of the collector who commissioned it. If you’re interested in these videos, then this is for you–but it’s not for everyone. I think it’s cool to watch it all come together in super-fast motion, when in reality it took many hours of work–but then, I’m a painter. So, please watch according to your level of interest:
The YouTube link, should you wish to pass it on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmnhtppPvoU
(If you like my videos, do a search for “speed painting” on YouTube. As well as videos like mine posted by other painters, you can find a lot of cool videos of digital painting, in which the artist uses Photoshop to “paint” an image.)
Change is on the horizon. With election day less than a month away and the economy looking dire, there seems to be a lot of freaked-out energy floating around. I’ve turned introspective. Re-assessing my life, making plans, and counting my blessings seems more productive than getting caught up in all the negativity that’s out there right now. Of course I’m not immune to it–but I figure consciously resisting it is better than nothing.
My new puppy Blake, at 12 weeks old, now eats more than my full-grown dog, and appears to be growing exponentially. Life is good.
