RISING

Nov 28, 2024

Rough stone steps wind around the side of a hill defining the cliff's edge in their slow ascent. As the path turns sharply, the eroded ground beneath forms an overhang. The sky beyond is suffused with golden radiance layered with grey-blue clouds. The trees at the edge of the cliff, already in the transition to autumn, are lit by the warm glow of sunset creating a contrast of light and shadow up thick textured trunks. Out over the edge, hovering in the open air, a woman in a long dress holds her hands out as if presenting a clear spherical vessel containing a solitary flame. Bathed in the light of sunset, she stares off panel into the far distance while a pair of doves flies low, sweeping over the curving steps. — RISING (2007), Acrylic on Watercolor board - 36" X 24"

This image came to me while I was working on THE RIVER in 1996. I don't know why it took me over 10 years to get around to doing this painting!

I’m often encouraged to share my process. Fortunately I did snap a photos of this painting along the way from the early stages of the underpainting as I worked out the details.

Photo of RISING as a work in progress. The underpainting top left is russet color and lower left is green. The forking branches of the tree have been defined against the contrast of white blank canvas as is the earthy overhang against what is to be sky. — Early work-in-progress photo of RISING

Work in progress photo of RISING with the panel turned on its side. Some of the sky has been rendered in blue. The trees are skeletal but more defined in texture. Everything is in earthy tones with the path of stairs winding down into the foreground. — Work-in-progress photo of RISING further along

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Additional images from RISING

LEFT: Detail from RISING featuring a woman in long dress hovering in open air. She holds her hands out as if presenting a clear spherical vessel containing a solitary flame. The trees next to her are intricately texture, and their leaves are as yellow as the golden light of the sun the bathes the entire image in warmth. CENTER: Close detail from RISING featuring the woman floating next to ancient trees with gold tinted sky behind her. RIGHT: Close detail from RISING featuring the artists sigil, the stylized letters M and W combined within a circle, hidden among the leaves of the trees. — Details from RISING

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RISING

Additional images from RISING

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