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Day 40 - Waiting for the Sunrise
"Waiting for the Sunrise" 7" x 5" Watercolor
For the next 24 hours this painting is $50, after that it returns to the retail price of $90.
If you would like to purchase this painting click here.
The mist was laying low over the pond at the Salmon Creek Watershed as we stood on the bridge and waited for the sunrise. A soft glow began rising in the east behind Mount Hood. Pinks melted into peach and orange as the sun finally began to show itself. How awesome to be out in nature and watch the day as it wakes up. Out at Salmon Creek about now is the time the trumpeter swans come in. It really is worth the time to make it out there to see them for the next few weeks before they move on.
This sunrise reminds me of another Dan Fogelberg song titled "To the Morning."
"Watching the sun
Watching it come
Watching it come up over the rooftops
Maybe a storm
You can never quite tell
From the morning
There is really no way to say no
To the morning
Yes it's going to be a day
There is really nothing left to
Say but
Come on morning…"
Music is a big part of our lives. Many of the texts that go through our family group chats are about favorite songs, favorite musicians, or someone new to listen to. Gary and I talk a lot about the common things between creating art and creating music. What we want to convey is a mood or emotion. I was listening to artist Kevin MacPherson today and he said something to the effect of …in an orchestra, each instrument plays their part, just as each brushstroke in a painting plays its role. And all those brushstrokes combined compliment the star of the show or the area of focus.
I have thought about this a lot so I'd like to share some of my ideas. I think of the darks in a painting as being the bass that grounds the music. The fine little brushstrokes in my trees are the flutes, thin and high. All the values from black to white are the harmonies of soprano, alto, tenor and bass, that must work in harmony for the song to be sweet, and the painting to feel balanced. In a music composition, there may be areas of discord or tension to hold your attention. Same is true in art, there are quiet areas and areas of action, colors one next to the other that create a tension or vibration, that tell you to "look here." And through a song, if every verse was the same and the chorus was the same, you would get bored listening to it. In painting, we need variety too, not just circles, but triangles and jaggy lines and variations in the shapes and sizes of the trees. Then we have the coloratura opera singer, that's the woman with the very high voice that has a vocal range that is so rare, but she doesn't sing every song. Just as the brightest color in the paintbox isn't brushed willy-nilly everywhere on the page. It is reserved and it is special because of that. I could go on and on, but I'll spare you. I bet you could think of some comparisons too. It's all a really interesting topic .
Today I listened to an opera that I could not wait for it to be over. It was by Antonio Vivaldi, whom I really like, however, this opera had way too much vibrato and harpsichord. It was called "Farnace" and unless you really like baroque, don't bother.
Go listen to some of your favorite music and I'll meet you back here tomorrow!
Kristi
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