Alas, thus far I seem to have a rather lurid style. I began this painting by trying to copy a lovely, delicate watercolor by a contemporary artist named Jane Voorhees. Other than a slight similarity in the landforms, however, this painting bears no resemblance to the watercolor. The title is thanks to Nick Drake, of course, whose fame exploded a number of years ago after VW used snippets of this song in a commercial where two young couples in a convertible forgo a party to go spinning down the road in the magical moonlight. But “Pink Moon” is not about magic; it is, almost certainly, about death. Nick Drake suffered from depression; he either killed himself or overdosed on antidepressants. But even his darkest songs are beautiful. Have a listen.
Metaphor
Dairy Queen bench ~
When I first started exhibiting photographs, in the early 1990s, I used metaphorical names for my abstract and semi-abstract works. In the past few years I’ve turned away from that; now most of my titles for such photographs simply say what things are. It doesn’t always work well, and sometimes I break my new rule. I’m uncertain about whether this photograph should have a different title. It’s a manipulated image of a bench and shadows at a Dairy Queen in Hoisington, Kansas. Pentax K-50, 18-50 mm zoom.