A Look Up

For as far back as I can remember, I've been fascinated by the sky. To be able to gaze up any day, every day, see that vast, beautiful expanse, and perceive the great untameable beauty it offers is humbling and comforting at the same time. 

So I'm sharing some of my thoughts and images of the sky. As an artist, I've taken many pictures, done sketches, and created paintings featuring the sky. If nothing else inspired me, if I am at a standstill in my work, the sky would still be there. And for me it never gets old. Because the sky is always changing. 

I want to paint this!

The sky of a late spring morning in my hometown is vastly different from the sky one sees at sunset over the waters at Siesta Key (Florida). Or the one seen from the top of Stone Mountain in Georgia on an overcast day. Or the one I stared at tonight, looking for signs of the last meteor shower of the year. I did not see any shooting stars, but I did see the Orion constellation, the moon, and Jupiter. And last week, in the twilight of early morning, I spotted Venus rising in the pre-dawn sky.

“Once you have tasted the taste of sky, you will forever look up.” -Leonardo da Vinci

and this!

Hardly a day passes when I don't look at the sky. On a clear, sunny day, I feel the deep blue tug at something inside, and on a crisp winter night (like tonight), I observe stars and planets strewn across the sky like diamonds and pearls. And the moon is the pendant from the broken necklace that lies up there. I know that I'm simply staring at rocks, ice, and gasses, but that doesn't detract from their beauty. I've watched many meteor showers and wished on many stars. I'm still enamored. There's some kind of magic that's a mix of the science and the sheer beauty. 

The pictures I'm sharing here were taken at various locations at different times of year, and they are just of few of many. When I can't pause and glance at the real thing, whether it's to reset my mind or to create something inspired by the sky, I just look at the photos in my phone. And I'm inspired all over again! 

Check out some of my work featuring the sky here.