Gemstone

2017, Oil on Herringbone Linen
16.5 x 26.5 inches, unframed

"Gemstone" is about the transformation of darkness into light. The heaviness of the central stone (a massive erratic) transmuted into shimmering light. For me, it's the 'pearl' in the following quote and, as was pointed out to me, the design of the composition (arches on the top and bottom) resemble an oyster opening...

"The oyster transfigures its grain of irritation by re-clothing it in its own emanations. That which threatened wreck becomes the source of its highest value. It refuses the grain of sand as an irritant and acceptance forces a new product born of hidden resources that glorify its drab life with a precious jewel reflecting heavenly tints."

- Helen Rhodes Wallace, How To Enter The Silence

Painted at Danforth Falls, Hudson MA