‘and last year’s berries’
original art
12x9
homegrown indigo pigment, watercolor, pastel, & ink on paper
The foundational washes of this piece were painted in collaboration with a winter’s day, and if you look closely you will see a pattern of frost that formed in the paint. The piece takes it’s title from Robert Frost’s poem “A Winter Eden.”
A winter garden in an alder swamp,
Where conies now come out to sun and romp,
As near a paradise as it can be
And not melt snow or start a dormant tree.
It lifts existence on a plane of snow
One level higher than the earth below,
One level nearer heaven overhead,
And last year's berries shining scarlet red.
It lifts a gaunt luxuriating beast
Where he can stretch and hold his highest feat
On some wild apple tree's young tender bark,
What well may prove the year's high girdle mark.
So near to paradise all pairing ends:
Here loveless birds now flock as winter friends,
Content with bud-inspecting. They presume
To say which buds are leaf and which are bloom.
A feather-hammer gives a double knock.
This Eden day is done at two o'clock.
An hour of winter day might seem too short
To make it worth life's while to wake and sport.
This artwork is part of the winter 2024 "Shadows" collection. The series contemplates the stillness of winter while honoring the memory of what has come before. For this series I took pride in connecting with the surfaces beneath my paint. The watercolors were born out of light shadowy washes, forming the foundation of the composition layered above. The signature natural pigment used is homegrown indigo, which I nurtured from seed last spring, cared for through the summer, harvested in the fall, and processed into paint this winter.
Please consider measurements carefully before purchase and take the time to view colors on different monitors, as colors may appear different on different devices. I have done my best to represent all artworks accurately. All works are signed, stamped, and titled individually by the artist.
Note that your purchase does not include a frame. Please note that your purchase does not include a frame. This original work on paper will look best when displayed in a frame. If you are unsure about which frame to choose, I have created a guide for you here.
