By the Light of the Moon
(It's All Just Fine)
I’m showing you this painting, "By the Light of the Moon," because it’s one of my favorites and relates to what I posted a week ago.
My last post was about catching flies… this is an odd leap, you might say… but wait! Let me tell you a little bit more about the painting.
The full title is "By the Light of the Moon (It’s All Just Fine.)" The Violinist is playing with all the passion of his or her heart for the world's sorrows.
The Moon is shining down, and the Cat is looking on, saying not to worry; there is a plane of existence where all of Life is in harmony, despite any appearances to the contrary.
The painting started in a figure drawing session; a group of us would pay for the model. I liked that the models were always clothed; I’ve done plenty of figure drawings and paintings over the years, but the pose, the folds and shape of the clothing, and how it draped became what I was interested in.
Sometimes, I can create a story from the work that turns into a meaningful painting. This canvas lay on its side for months before I looked to see what I could find in it.
Nothing. I was in the process of painting the entire canvas a lovely rich black but then realized I liked the face, so I left that peaking out of the mess I’d created.
This is embarrassing, but I’d been given two full years to prepare for a one-woman show at a small, delightful gallery in San Luis Obispo, California. I spent three-fourths of that time thinking about my life, work, and where I wanted to go from here.
I had about six months remaining to develop enough paintings for a show, that’s true. It was my best work so far though, because no time was left to worry or overwork any of the paintings.
So, this particular canvas, with an intriguing face, was needed now; it was time to figure out what the rest of the painting looked like.
I often see images I later use in paintings or etchings in places like wood piles, oil stains, rock formations, or the non-uniform waxy ground on an etching plate, or something I see in the gesso on a canvas. After putting this canvas on the table in my studio, leaning against the wall, I kept eyeing it while working on other things.
During that time, I was listening to a series of tapes by Ram Dass, aka Richard Alpert, one of my favorite people. He was telling another story about being in the presence of his guru, Neem Karoli Baba:
Ram Dass was filled with sorrow about the Bangladesh famine in 1974. After letting him go on for a while, Babaji stopped him and said, "Don’t you SEE Ram Dass? there is a plane (of consciousness) where everything is all just fine, and all is well." That may not be the exact quote, but that’s how I remember it.
As I was thinking about that statement, I saw a violin in the paint smears. Then, a figure playing it soulfully in the darkness. There needed to be some light from a streetlight or some other source. Soon, a moon appeared.
Then, the cat joined as a companion, reminding the audience that this is all an illusion, no matter how real it seems.
There is a level of consciousness where the divine Being is all there is. We are all expressions of that. We are all learning to be Love, to express Love, no matter how long it takes.
The beings in the tragedy Ram Dass was distressed by were experiencing something that furthered their understanding, and then they continued on.
The painting was finished in a few days, and on to the next one.
How does this relate to catching Flies? It’s the idea of Oneness. There is only one thing, and it is us: the entire Universe, all creatures, all beings. We are part of the whole and express this when we are kind to all of these beings.
The bullies, the tyrants, and the mean girls are part of this, too, but their lives are more problematic because it’s a bit of a slog to get to where their hearts are aligned with Goodness, Kindness, Patience, Harmony, and Love.
That’s all, All is well,
Paula
PS: There is a beautiful film about a violin built in 1720, as it passes from hand to hand over a period of three hundred years that was in theaters at the same time this painting was shown. The people who purchased the painting told me about the film. I painted “By the Light of the Moon” without having seen or heard of the “Red Violin.” It doesn’t relate to my story exactly, but it was interesting and I loved the film.
If you love violin music, the Red Mendelssohn Stradivarius violin that the story is based upon can be heard being played by Elizabeth Pitcairn in the video below.
Love, P.
I liked reading about the meaning of that painting. The symbolism in it.
I liked reading about the meaning behind the painting! I've seen that painting for years.. a print of it I guess, and I never knew about its background!