The Gallery: Landscape 3
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Beth E Peterson
Text and Artwork:
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Leaving Harbor Oil 20" x 26" One morning I was out and about, down by where the Lake and the bay meet. As I tried to paint (watercolors) in the fine rain that was falling, I stopped to watch a procession of sailboats leaving the harbor for the open waters of Lake Erie. The sun was rising behind them, but still below the rim of the world. The dewy, misty light caught their sails even as the breeze belled them out. Silent and lovely, they slowly glided past, like dreamers...or perhaps like dreams. The sea at her softest. 
Streams of Silver & Gold Photograph 8" x 10" Certain things (themes?) keep cropping up in my work, don't they, lol. There are the horses, and there is water. (And of course, dragons and mountains, too, in the poetry, rofl.) The light and shade as they stretched across this stream seems to evoke so many thoughts...so many concepts and ideas...I believe I will leave my own out of your interpretation. Contemplate... 
In Depth Study Photograph 8" x 10" Yes, my tongue is in my cheek. I couldn't resist the play on words in the title, lol. Nor would I want to! I love doing studies of depth; I love doing in depth studies. ~WEG~ And who of you who has wandered very far in this website would beg to differ on my evaluation of myself? I love the woods, and the water ways that meander or surge through them. I love the dense and rich shadows, nd the light that bursts downward into places where the leaves break. Forests are places of contrasts...light and shadow, fullness and emptiness. Where the canopy is dense, the understory is sparse and walking is easy. Deep rifts of ancient pine needles can cushion one's foot falls as well or better than any carpet. Sweet music of bird, of wind, of water, of silence.
There is peace in the forest. A peace I have never yet met where people are gathered. Even the forest conflicts
are more in harmony with each other. Human conflicts, as I am certain you, too, know, are often worse
than strident. And yes, I believe there are lessons to be learned, here.
Flight Photograph 8" x 10" Certain birds are built to soar, and to watch them sail the sky is a distinct pleasure. This image, to me, evokes the striving of the earth-bound...in the image's format, the trees... as they reach upwards, trembling with effort and joy as they touch their pieces of the sky. And the bird entices them farther, further, laughing and inviting them to continue in their growth. A joy shared, not a derision. To be earth-bound does not mean we should allow ourselves to be enclosed and encased in mud nor dirt nor filth. It means we can draw energy and strength upwards from that nurturing earth, even as we fling our fingers and minds into the heavens. To truly be alive, perhaps we must be nurtured both from 'below' and from 'above'.
But I still think sailing the sky would be the most glorious fun!
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