Ekphrasis Project

Artist Statement

Rise of the Moonlight

Donald Arthur McClain's paintings are about the seasonal changes, and this one focuses on Winter, which is what I am reminded of when I look at this painting. The color of the sky is deep blue, and the moon stands out with its white glow. The trees are completely barren with not a single leaf to be found. All of these are elements that can be found with winter, giving a chilling effect because of the cold colors used. It reminds me of how Winter is always so cold, we would want to bundle ourselves up to fight against the freezing season. But when you look up and closer to the scene, you will notice certain details that add more beauty to Winter. The endless blue high above that reminds you of a frozen ocean, and down below is the moon rising into the sky that shifts the blue into a softer color. Up closer when you notice the branch, there are outlines of white most likely coming from the moonlight. Perhaps maybe ice since it is the Winter where this painting takes place.

That is what I put focus on when writing my poem. To bring attention to the moonlight, to the hidden beauty of nature that can still be found in Winter, when it feels like there is nothing of worth being out in the cold, when in reality there are still traces of beauty to be found.

Coat of Colors

There are a multitude of colors that can be found on the painting. Mainly consisting of those you can find the Fall: orange, yellow, and red. There are numerous little splashes of colors that can be found throughout the entire painting, from the bold clutters of leaves on the tree to the softened sky in the background. All of these colors create patterns that contrast yet complements each other in one painting.

Which is what I hoped to have succeeded in my poem, to bring the connection to focus. When I first looked at the painting, I focused more on the brighter, bolder colors of the leaves all in the center. It reminded me of a coat, one that is so pretty in comparison to the greenery the trees had for Spring and Summer. And the colors feel connected with the sky, almost becoming a match. In the Fall, the sky would start turning more orange due to the sun going up later and then go down earlier than before. This creates a story where the Tree ends up matching the sky and even revels in it, because the colors make it more beautiful, more attentive because people like myself do love it when the trees' leaves turn colorful.

But looking closer, there is also the blend between the red and the orange, practically blending together like a match. Especially when the red-orange colors are rising to the top like flames in the sky. At a glance, when I also noticed the rhythmic dot patterns meshed together in the background, it reminded me of the leaves themselves, like maybe the sun setting is not just what is making the sky so colorful, but also other colorful leaves that have flew from their own trees, since Fall is also when the leaves fall off. It ends up giving a more emotional tone in the end that rounds up the poem's narrative.

Soft Hues Behind the Web

In the painting is a tree completely colored like it is shadowed. It completely contrasts the background of pale pink and yellow, like a pastel sky. It honestly reminds me like it is a web of cracks spreading across the pastel background, trying to cut through the softness and cover it away. Yet the soft colors can still be seen between the holes and cracks, still standing out despite the shadows.

I like to imagine in the theme, the pastel sky of pink and yellow can reflect innocence since the colors are so soft. But then there is the mass of shadow down at the bottom, and we get the tree towering in the center and spreading its branches all across the painting, covering up the pastel sky. Which I feel can reflect on how as we grow older, our rose-tinted glasses shatter over time and we start to see the more ugly side of the world and have to grow up. Yet despite how much cover up is shown, we can still see the pastel, the softness and goodness that still remains. There is still some gentle colors that can be found in contrast with the darkness that basically takes over the painting.

Standing Tall

In the painting, there is a wind storm going on, with the plants shown all being affected and being blown around. The sunflowers stand out the most due to being the brightest color out of the entire painting, so that is where our eyes are drawn the most towards. We see the way their petals all move in different directions because of the wind. Upon closer inspection, the sunflowers even look like they are bending to the wind, surrendering to the weight of the storm. But when you look even closer, and even look towards the surroundings, you would notice a non-bloomed sunflower that is standing taller than the rest of the sunflowers, that is facing against the wind yet it is not bending down like the rest of the sunflowers. It is still standing tall, head high against the storm.

Because the painting takes place most likely in the summer, with its warm and sunny colors and the sunflowers being the main focus of the painting, it can translate to how finding and feeling joy can be challenged when facing disruptions to your life. Especially when fully bloomed flowers could be used as metaphors to adults trying to hold onto their youthfulness and joy in life, but can't hold on. But despite the disruptions, there are those like the non-bloomed sunflower that is still standing strong against the storm blowing through.

Is it a simple analogy we see all the time in other forms of arts? Yeah, but it doesn't make it any less meaningful.

Rise Of the Moonlight

Coat of Colors

Soft Hues Behind the Web

Stand Tall