moony blues

It’s my honor once again to contribute to next year’s Lunar Calendar published by The Luna Press. I’ve been part of this fine endeavor since 1983, with it’s moon phases exerting a greater pull over time. I check it daily for the moonrise times, and embrace the swell of full moon energy every cycle.

I submitted seven cover ideas to editor Nancy F. W. Passmore, including this one that overlapped my freshly completed project, Tiger Boy, set in India. My head was still full of naukas (fishing boats) and alpanas (decorative designs.) Nancy also provides a bounty of poetic prompts, and this stanza from Villanelle for Women Travellers by Asphodel P. Long gave me inspiration:

Bless all who work to build the Goddess Age

Who mark the path of their own life’s journey,

Dear women who have made the pilgrimage

To far off lands to seek her mystery.

While this was a favorite, it was not chosen for the cover image. Nancy liked one cover idea with a trio of herons. I titled this Seven Moon Sonata, and it will wrap over to the back of the calendar. Even though red is my favorite color, I stuck entirely to blues for this, with a few touches of collage.

She chose another idea for an interior illustration, which was inspired by Sarah Fuhro’s poem, Journey by Water.

My work has frequently been paired with her lovely words to my sheer delight. You can read more of Sarah’s wisdom and literary lunacy here.

Meanwhile, I just worked on a pastel for the upcoming exhibit at the Gem Gallery celebrating it’s 10 year anniversary. Have I been a member of this wee gallery collective for that long? I slipped a crescent moon into this twilight view of Cushing Island. All works in the show will be 10 x 10 inches, selling for $100.

In a fun departure from pastel, I worked on a Messy Patchwork Collage, another assignment in Mati Rose McDonough’s Daring Adventures in Collage e-course. I know all about messy, but it’s the painting over a collage that felt quite adventurous.

The moon will be full TONIGHT, rising at 7:50 PM, Maine time. Calling all lunatics to get out there and witness this splendid spectacle. Look up!