The Flower Moon recently passed. This small canvas measuring 12″ wide X 16″ high has looked exactly as you see it for many years.
It was one of two small canvases I used to wipe the excess paint from my brushes as I painted my Two Moons series of paintings.
It then sat against the wall, always exposed so it was witness to everything that ever took place in my former studio. Every action, and every word uttered, it soaked it up. It was never covered, and the reason was because I wanted this canvas to be part of everything and then become what it wished to become when it told me it was time.
I ended up needing to relocate a few years back. This canvas traveled with me, and unlike all my other canvases didn’t get stacked away. No, this one went directly to my new painting room. It again took a place down low, just leaning against the wall, facing out so it would bear witness to what transpired, be a part of every little bit of creation.
I had no plans for this canvas, I wanted it to plan itself. It was made of the the Two Moons, but it was not a part of that. It was to give itself meaning. For all I knew it would some day say “Paint me as diamond glinting brighter than sunlight!” or maybe it would say “I am the earth, I am water, mix me into clay and see what forms.” It could have been anything. Sometimes I thought it would become a small painting of tulips. Other times I thought it would be washed in black and filled with ghosts.
It finally spoke. I did not expect what it said. What it became was not complicated, nor did it take long.
First it asked for the moon. Not a crescent, nor two of them as in the series it was birthed from. A full moon, alone, and dripping with crimson. That is what it said, so I obeyed.
It said nothing else until the moon appeared.
Once the moon appeared it said “NOW YOU.”
I did not wish to paint myself, I’ve done so before, but not now.
It said “No, you as a raven.” and I responded that I was not a raven, just a crow. It said then the raven and crow shall be together, mix them.”
Most people can’t even tell the difference between a raven and a crow. Even I who feed them both regularly so have studied them for years often can’t at a glance unless close.
Me… as the once king, new born under the flower moon dripping crimson, with a crown. Not a crown of gold, one made of steel, tinged with violet, and I too was tinged with violet.
Such a crown has not much monetary vale, it isn’t the crown of kings. It is strong though. It is the crown of strength and perseverance.
I recall long ago being someone who could claim those things. I’ve not had that right for a long time.
The canvas though, the canvas which was birthed in the two moons series and then watched everything after for years, it said to me it was time to reclaim myself.
So, it is not a fancy thing, it is not grandiose, it was simply and quickly done, but it was done as it was meant to be done. The Flower Moon.
You can get a small framed print of this at LAIDIGARTS.COM online store.
I would like to note here also that the Two Moons painting series was always meant to be a sort of prequel to another series I had planned to do. It was almost like the Two Moons were to be a small introduction to a grander thing. That series was to be called Eclipse. I remember being very excited about it, but as the years slipped by, it never came to pass. I never had the chance. My hopes of doing it slowly faded away, and then eventually ended. It was not so “Erotic” as the Two moons. More spiritual.
There was also another I wished to do that was connected. I wished to call it light. It would have been a challenge, but a dreamed of it for years. A figure, beautiful, seen through flowers, lit by moonlight. Just moonlight, and through the moon you could have seen the path of the two moons, and in the distance the eclipse, but the eyes of the viewer wouldn’t notice these things at first because their eyes would be drawn only to the beauty bathed in moonlight.
I remember wanting these projects to exist. I don’t want them now though. They have died.
The painting titled Flower Moon exists though. Get a print if you like it.
