Starting Today: Full Moon Glare

October 13, 2013

Full Moon Glare

A few weeks ago I stepped out onto my front porch and watched the full moon shine out from behind bands of rolling clouds. Because of an optical effect caused by my glasses, long glaring beams seemed to radiate from the moon's face and spread out over the sky like a ghostly flower. Though the thick clouds proved impenetrable to the moon's reflected brilliance, their edges still shone with feathered silver. This image stuck in my mind, and provided the inspiration for my latest astronomical abstract...

Here are some "in-process" shots (please forgive the TERRIBLE quality of the photographs)...

And a slightly zoomed in view of the moon...

...and the signature I remembered to add later...only after I took the photos above...oops.

Finishing an artwork always leaves me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's nice to have something that feels more or less "complete." But on the other, now I've just got another blank canvas taunting me from the sidelines.

So what's next?

1 comment:

Iffer MitchellOctober 13, 2013 at 10:25 PM
The universe is vast and loaded with beautiful things. I know you'll be inspired again. I love this one how the clouds play against the distant moon and the striking rays of glare frame the moon's glory. Just lovely!
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Great Books I've Recently Read

If you are looking for an "astronomical" read, Tyler Nordgren's "Stars Above, Earth Below" Is a great place to start. Nordgren explores a wide array of astronomical subjects by relating them to the processes, landscapes, history, culture, and dark skies that are so beautifully on display in our National Parks: solar system volcanism alongside Yellowstone National Park; Cosmology, Deep Time, and Deep Space alongside the Grand Canyon; Climate Change and the "Goldilocks Zone" alongside Glacier National Park; the life cycles of stars, and archeoastronomy alongside Chaco Canyon...and many more. The book is loaded with beautiful images and illustrations, and Nordgren's conversational storytelling makes complex ideas both accessible and memorable. The ideas in this book have enriched my own experience of observing, and I recommend it to others with two big thumbs up!

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A beautifully written book that illuminates one of the most quietly pressing issues of our time: the slow advancement of light pollution into our night sky. True darkness, and the natural light it permits, has been a source of inspiration for creative thinkers throughout history. It is crucial to our physical and mental health, personal safety, and continuing connection to the world around us. Its gradual disappearance behind a fog of orange skyglow is a tragedy that many around the world are working hard to prevent. Provocative, subtle, practical, and poetic, "The End of Night" reminds us that we need not fear the dark, but should instead embrace and protect its wonders so that future generations will still know first-hand the arc of the Milky Way sweeping across a deep sky.

I love and hate anthologies. The great thing about them is I come away having met a new bunch of inspiring writers. The unfortunate thing is that I know I'll never get to everything on my growing list of "must read" books. This collection is magnificent, with selections both poetic and practical, sobering and celebratory. And Lyon's introductory analysis of America's particular contribution to the oft overlooked and sometimes maligned genre of nature writing provides an illuminating perspective on the art, while also tying it to society's evolving perspective on nature and humanity's role within it. A few of my favorite features included selections by Barry Lopez, John Haines, Edward Hoagland, Rachel Carson, and Henry Beston.

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Starting Today

October 13, 2013

Full Moon Glare

1 comment:

Black River Astronomical Society

Salt Lake Astronomical Society

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