Monday, March 31, 2014

Transit of the Moon


This new painting has been accepted to this year's Oil Painters of America National Exhibition! The exhibition will take place at The Bennington Center for the Arts in Bennington, Vermont, June 7 - July 27, 2014. Happily, this year's OPA National Exhibit will be close enough for me to attend without flying.

Flowers don't seem to carry the same weight of symbolism that they used to carry in paintings, but just for fun, I decided to use night-blooming "moonflowers" in this painting. As an added fun conceptual bonus, these flowers belong to "the classic 'witches' weeds', along with deadly nightshade, henbane, and mandrake. Most parts of the plants contain toxic hallucinogens, and datura [moonflower] has a long history of use for causing delirious states and death. It was well known as an essential ingredient of love potions and witches' brews." Thank you, Wikipedia.

Transit of the Moon by Rob Rey - robreyfineart.com
Oil on Linen, 18 x 24 inches
Detail in raking light