BLOOD MOON IN JANUARY
ACRYLICS ON RED CEDAR
WINTER 2019

​     A super blood wolf moon.  I wish I could use a better word to describe it, but “Wow” is the one that keeps coming to mind.  Wow!  And to top it off, it happened on my birthday!  That was a spectacular sight, and with clear skies, we were treated to a wonderful, unforgettable gift from nature.  The moon was so big as it rose, and the changes in color from its typical full-moon brilliance to that amazing blood-red color during the eclipse were a sight to see.  I was immediately inspired to paint this blood-red moon and decided to use one of my favorite formats, that of a Japanese hanging scroll.  One of the reasons I love to paint on wood, particularly cedar, is that the wood’s grain is so beautiful (so much so that I hope my painting on it doesn’t detract too much from that natural beauty).  When I use this format no frame is required.  Instead I burn the wood above and below the painting using the Japanese technique (shou-sugi-ban) of charring and oiling the cedar.  This really enhances the grain and makes it an important component of the design.  The design for the moon is a fusion of a Celtic spiral with my version of a Japanese Rabbit Moon kamon.  In keeping with the Zen principle of kanso, the editing out what’s unnecessary and leaving only the essence of the subject behind, I have painted a very simple tree to counterbalance the complexity of the moon.
 
 
 DIMENSIONS:           HEIGHT:  38 ¼ inches
                                    WIDTH:  11 1/8 inches


                           SOLD