"Polaris No. 13 (Celestial View)"

“Celestial View” is a bird portrait revisited and reworked. I love giving an older piece a new life. I was inspired to change this composition from its original form with a plain pastel background and a paper layer below the feet of the bird to a multi-layered design for this new series. The paper layer was removed and then sculpted with layers of acrylic paint and pumice stone granules to mimic the texture of the moon’s surface. The paint techniques further executed the tone of the gray, black, white, and metallics in the lunar palette. The color of the background pastel was built up with a new rusty earthtone and the constellation designs were drawn over and painted in white pastels and paint pen work.

The finished artwork is a quirky nod to the idea of perspective and the literal journey my artwork will take to the moon’s surface in the “Polaris” collection of the Lunar Codex project.

The frame has a special meaning to me, as it is handmade by my brother Blake. He has lent his talent for woodworking to me and produced several beautiful frames for my work. The Maple wood frames this particular piece and compliments the neutral coloring in the background tones of the pastels while leaving a large, white, interior floating border space for the mounted artwork.

Polaris No. 13 (Celestial View)

charcoal, pastel, acrylic and pumice fragments on Canson mixed media board

11x14" artwork size, 20x25" framed

2023

Available - Contact Artist

Polaris Solo Exhibition

Grand Bohemian Lodge Gallery

Falls Park, Greenville, SC