Before the Clearing

Before the Clearing began with the tall, narrow format of the canvas and my desire to explore the depth of one of my favorite colors. As I worked, a sense of space began to emerge, and the painting gradually became a water scene—something I imagined as a view from the deck of a sailboat, alone in the middle of the ocean.

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Layers of deep blue and green create the feeling of water moving beneath and around me. The darker textures suggest currents—forces I cannot completely control but can move with as I find my way. Above them, a vertical streak of light appeared almost like moonglow, illuminating the distance without defining a destination.

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Before the Clearing is about being somewhere in between. I may not yet know exactly where I'm going, but I am no longer standing still. I am learning to move with the currents, while the light remains—a quiet presence in the distance.