". . . a brush with nature"

Recently I read this quote by, Robert Henri.

“Art is, after all, only a trace - like a footprint which shows that one has walked bravely and in great happiness.”

I feel that artists do have to “walk bravely” when we first decide to create something from our heart and soul, then take the next step to share it with others . . . to show it to the world. That can be scary. Very scary. It does require a certain level of courage. But at the same time . . . the very same time . . . there is so much joy in the actual creation of the art, and yes, weirdly enough, even in the sharing of it. 

As we as artists move through our careers, we may experience many changes in mediums, styles, subject matter, and the like, but that underlying need to create is always there with us. It remains steadfast and strong as we explore, experiment and continue to create. The other constant, at least in my own experience, is the joy I feel while creating, completing and then sharing my work with others. I do experience a great sense of happiness that I want to share with others.

So, with the creation of each and every piece of work the artist is leaving another small trace of themselves for the world to discover. The artist is proclaiming, “Yes, I was here. I was brave and I was happy!”

I recently read that the definition of ephemera is “things that exist, are used or enjoyed for only a short period of time.” Most common examples used to be papers, letters and other printed items such as ticket stubs, newspapers, postcards, posters, stickers, greeting cards and the like.

But now, with the onset of our more advanced technology, even text messages bouncing back and forth between our phones have become ephemera.    

Definitions go on to explain that ephemera was never meant to hold any significance, but I don’t think that is true. Memorabilia refers to items that are collected and kept as keepsakes due to their association with a particular event, person, or historical moment. I might argue that ephemera and memorabilia can become, and often do become, one and the same. The lines drawn between the two are easily blurred depending upon who is looking at them. Items once defined as simply ephemera often become memorabilia and then someone’s treasured keepsake.

Which brings me to the inspiration of this painting. As has been his custom throughout our marriage, my wonderful husband brings me a bouquet at least a couple of times a month . . . sometimes more. I absolutely LOVE the bouquets and both of us greatly enjoy having flowers in our home. Although we enjoy their beauty every day, they never seem to last long enough.

Then, I had a dream about a lovely moth flying above one particular bouquet of roses we had in our bedroom. I believe the dream was inspired by a Luna Moth, but I am not absolutely certain of that. After all, it was a fantasy . . . it was a dream. 

Luna moths are not rare, but are rarely seen due to their very brief (7–10 day) adult life span and mostly nocturnal flying time. They can be seen in mornings however, so perhaps that is why I “saw” my dream moth flying above the roses. Although neither the moth or the roses are a subject that I often (if ever) paint, I had to paint this particular painting at this time.

Both the bouquet of roses and the moth of my inspiration existed only for a short while. BUT they both were important and held significance. They were a dream, a treasured keepsake for a time and then became a cherished memory for a lifetime.