Tuesday, June 24, 2014

The Marsh in May - Elegy

                                                          watermedia on Yupo 12x28

When I was a resident at Sitka in 2010, I asked a Forest Service biologist if trees had an exact 'time of death'.  They don`t. When a mature tree falls and is left to eventually return to the earth, there is a wistful somber nobility to it, it`s  elegiac. That`s a beautiful word that is rarely used and I never hear spoken. Too bad. I often see these fallen giants on my walks and I`m struck by their dignity in their decay. That is what I hoped to portray here in contrast to the lush new season. This painting is not what I meant so I`ll try again. Got the juicy spring ambiance but not the gravity of those old trees.
Here are a couple of photos I`ve taken of others;


kind of heartbreaking






It`s hard not to see human aspirations in these forms.


work for sale in my studio



5 comments:

Gary L. Everest said...

Hi Randall,
Those photos, particularly the one on the beach, really do make one see much more than a fallen tree.
I never thought of it that way, so thanks for opening my eyes to a new way of seeing. On second thought, each of your paintings does the same thing!
Sincerely,
Gary.

juliefordoliver.blogspot.com said...

Your painting has life...beautiful life. I guess it is the water versus the sand.
The beauty of the forms lying in repose are so graceful yet with jagged areas to remind us of the deterioration taking place.
Neat post.
You presented me with a lot to think about. Thank you, Randall.

Colours by sheri said...

This painting is just lovely. And your thoughts about these fallen giants....well my daily walks will be different now.
Thank you
Sheri

Maureen said...

Love the image of the tree on the beach.

Libby Fife said...

I had to look that word (elegy) up to get the exact idea of it. (It reminded me too of Thomas Gray's poem that I read about a million years ago...).

The painting is lovely but I know you will go back in to have another go. Glad to see that someone else notices and responds to the idea of fallen trees.