Moon Art

Yesterday was the full moon and I have this and a soon to be finished painting featuring the moon (and a full one at that), that I started last night without realizing that it was a full moon. Funny how that happens. I'm a big fan of the moon. My astrological sign is cancer, but beyond that I'm just drawn to it. I love its rhythms and its beauty. The painting above is called "Moon Under Water" and can be purchased here. Sketching this image inspired the following poem:

I dreamt last night
that the moon was under water,
not the whole of it,
just half,
as if she was too hot for this summer night
and decided to take a dip.
Finding it bracingly cold
and frighteningly vast in its darkness,
she kept her face dry and safe
above the water line.
But just the legs of the moon
were enough to give the ocean
an ethereal glow
that startled the fish from their slumber
which caused the waves to ripple and dance.
And when the stars moved in
for a better view
the surface lit up like a discoteque
and the air hummed
like a refridgerator late at night.
On a distant shore the waves lapped, lapped
on the rocks
marking the thumping heartbeat
of the skinny dipping moon,
shivering and alive.

Poems often inspire art for me. Something in the way they're written is so visual that I find it inspires rich imagery in my mind as I read it. At one point, I was trading inspiration with my best friend as we wrote poems that inspired art or other poems back and forth. It was great fun. Looking for good poems to inspire you? I love the work of Mary Oliver. I could just gush over her poems, they're luscious. And then going way back, there is the poetry of Rumi, gorgeous and spirtual poems. Sometimes, I just like to use the wondrous Google (what did we do before Google?) to search for random words next to the word "poem" and see what comes up. Or you could check out Poetry Thursday, a great website full of poem prompts, articles about poetry, and shared poems.

The above piece came together unexpectedly. Pieces of the inspiration came from a long flight in which I couldn't sleep (I can never seem to fall asleep on a plane.) Other pieces came completely intuitively, such as using cut paper for the figure, her clothing and hair, whereas I usually paint the figure over a collage. The painting begain solely because I had accidentally squirted out way too much black paint for another painting I was working on. Since I can't squeeze the paint back into the tube, I put it to use by covering another wooden board with the paint and once it dried, I was inspired to get working on it right away. I can't really explain where this woman is from quite yet, but I have an idea which may lead to a large piece, so I'll explain then. In the meantime, the above art is called "Fly Away" and can be purchased here. Hope your evening is full of inspiration! Now, go howl at the moon.

Comments

[Elizabeth]

Hello! Not been by for a while and I discover your site(s) looking fab and full of even more wonderful artwork! What a lovely treat!

Glad you are well. Hugs, Lizzi

[Bridgette]

hi Leah! I hadn't been to this blog yet- i love both of these paintings. I love the tree in her shoulder on the top painting. And the attention to pattern in the bottom painting draws me in. That is the thing that I've noticed with your work-the more you look, the more you find! I love that.

Thanks for your comment about those programs. I actually have a PC, so I won't have to worry about that. But I will let you know if I recommend the program that I will eventually choose. Thanks again!

[jes]

OW WOW!!!!!!! Girlfriend you are a creative machine! These two pieces are just so beautiful!

And the poem...just as lovely as you.....

Can't wait for September!!

[marie]

Leah, I admire all your artwork...How you create such beautiful women and write amazing, picturesque words...the moon poem just brought such vivid images, especially dangling her legs in the water......

I also saw the painting of the woman with a tree on her belly...two of my favorite strong things to talk about!

Thanks for sharing your beauty with us...

[Amy]

WONDERFUL!

[Amy]

p.s. I adore Rumi