The Puzzle of the Pink Moon

Where do my painting ideas come from? Sometimes I wake from a dream with an image floating in my mind. When I'm out and about I'll spy a vignette from the corner of my eye that calls out to me. In my travels, I'm always carrying my Nikon 5300, a tiny Canon Power-Shot, or at least the camera in my iPhone. Everything I could use is catalogued. These tools are how I mesh the pieces of the puzzle that become a painting.

THE DIGITAL SKETCH

For the past month or so, I've been entranced by the image of last spring's pink full moon. Combined with the gnarly Costa Rica islets I've used before, and a sandy beach bathed in golden light, I had a "place" for my story that exists only in my mind - and on my easel.

In September, I saw a big flock of swans swimming in an inlet in Little Compton, RI. Swans are not just beautiful and graceful, but they mate for life.

There are several versions of this sketch. In one, the woman is nestling a huge bird in her arms. The one pictured here tells a more dynamic - and playful - narrative.

Everything is in movement. The dots and stripes of her costume flow as the woman falls in step with the swan. The bird's mate soars overhead, silhouetted against the pink moon. Far away, more birds fill the sky.