Awakening - Art

In Awakening, strong lines emanate from a focal object on one side of the painting. This object is shaped something like a jack-in-the-box springing out in a surprise outburst of energy. This surprise causes the awakening alluded to in the painting’s title. A sudden event, such as the springing forth of a jack-in-the-box, results in the far-reaching rays of awareness depicted by the lines shown to be originating from the figure in the painting.

The painting’s color scheme is important to note. This piece has a color scheme that is primarily dominated by a deep shade of purple. The color in this piece is tinged with darkness, an allusion to the potentially frightening and negative realizations that might accompany an awakening of this type. Yet the color itself remains beautiful, a royal purple indicating the dignified nature of this phenomenon, as well as its ennobling effect on human nature. By coming to a greater understanding through an awakening, a person begins to live a fuller, more enriched life.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Anonymous - Art

Anonymous, a dark, forbidding piece, features a freeform figure standing in a gray landscape. The lines of the painting swirl and arc in all directions, creating a feeling of erratic movement. The strange and mildly discombobulating movement of the lines gives the viewer a sense of chaos and danger. The dark, monochromatic color scheme of this piece also contributes to its sense of menace.

This painting touches on the fears that every person has of true anonymity and obscurity. Being forgotten is a frightening prospect to most people, and each person will come up with his or her own solution, whether it is to have children, write a book, or write graffiti on a stone wall. Anonymous, a cleverly titled piece, examines the natural human fear of having one’s identity erased by death.




©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Diamond Maze - Art

Diamond Maze is an uncluttered painting featuring a winding path, at the end of which is a diamond. The winding path ends in a coiled spiral at the center of the painting. Along the meandering lines that make up the maze mentioned in the painting’s title are simple shapes – circles and a diamond in shades of black and green. These objects along the maze are the “diamonds,” the valuables that are to be collected as the eye moves along the length of the line.

The color scheme of this piece includes black and green, as well as a predominantly gray background. The gray and black give the painting a colorless feel, which makes small objects that appear in vibrant green shade stand out as a focal point of the piece. Green is a significant color in this painting, because it is often associated with greed and money, as are diamonds. In this way, Diamond Maze provides an image of diamonds and their acquisition in a simple, visually affecting image.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Open Aroma - Art

Open Aroma.

This abstract painting has an elegant pastel color scheme with pale blue, purple, and yellow. The abstract form in the painting has a strangely universal form, and there are many possible interpretations of the identity of this mysterious object. The form vaguely resembles a musical note on a written piece of music, yet its abstract form lends itself to many different understandings, from the mundane to the significant.

The painting’s texture is unique, for the colors seem wispy and ethereal, as though they might float away with the slightest breeze. The light airiness of the colors gives the painting an elated, lifted mood. This abstract piece, though its form is indistinct and open to interpretation, offers a universally uplifting mood with its beautiful pastel colors and light, breezy texture.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Inner Anger - Poem

If one thing progresses
it will be you.
running around that mound
chasing time in a vacuum

I can't feel right now
and the tears seem to slow
down because it hurts
beliefs don't include what really matter

Just see the rest of me
and i may see you
I'm slowing down now
Listen.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Inner Anger - Art

Inner Anger.

The abstract image featured in this painting is a fanciful portrait of a human face, its features stretched and altered to produce a visually arresting effect. The features of the face – its eyes, nose, and mouth – are distorted and elongated to create a grotesque image that is disturbing and fascinating at the same time. The sardonic smile of the face is captivating and inspires curiosity about the source of amusement for the strange man depicted in this painting.

Though the painting is primary dark in color, with a grayish charcoal background and outline of the unusual face, a few bright spots of color stand out in this piece. A single red eye gives the face an off-kilter appearance and an impression of deformity or strangeness to the face. A green-colored mouth is another unusual feature of this piece, which is itself entirely strange and mysterious in its treatment of this portrait.



©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

"Imagination is more impoortant than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imgination encircles the world. " Albert Einstein

Level Oppression - Art

Level Oppression. A strong, vibrant piece, this abstract painting has a highly saturated color scheme that is striking and evokes an immediate, visceral reaction in the viewer. Vivid shades of pink, orange yellow, teal, brown, lime green, olive, purple, peach, and periwinkle dominate this piece, creating an evocative color study with an extremely visually appealing composition. These bright colors lift the spirits of the viewer, the intense color saturation a symbol of health and sustained strength.

The patches of color in this painting are not distinct from one another. In fact, the edges of these swatches of color bleed into each other, and the color patches blend and blur into each other. This bleeding together of the colors reveals the close relationships that these colors share. The interconnectedness of all colors is revealed in the strong, vibrantly colored patchwork that makes up this work of art.



©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Fire Runner - Poem

gifted and instrumental in my success
you run further and I can't see your
teaching me to run in infinite directions
you slow down so that I can see you

I run with regression
afraid to take another course
in an effort to please,
I slow down so that I won't pass you

challenges to power often dampen spirits
and I need to pass you now.
leveling this field is not for play
run with and not through the wind

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Fire Runner - Art

Fire Runner is a dynamic, free-form painting. It captures the power of fire, and also its elemental simplicity. The primary colors of red and yellow were chosen not only to illustrate the heat of the fire, but also its nature as a basic and primeval element of the earth. Just as fire is a basic element upon which human comfort and sustenance are built, the colors red and yellow are primary colors, meaning that other colors are built out of them. By using these primary colors, the painting establishes fire’s importance to man as a central element from which all comforts are derived – heat, light, food, comfort. Fire is one of the first natural phenomena that primitive man ever pondered, and this painting continues in that ancient desire to explore its mystery.

The painting’s lines show the fire’s movement and energy. The lines of the fire are curved to show motion, and the white spaces between the colors represent the air that the fire burns to fuel itself. The fire fills the canvas and seems ready to leap out of its constraints, the way a fire would spread in its search for more fuel to consume. This painting powerfully evokes the basic characteristics of fire’s nature – its motion and desire to expand, its heat – with broad strokes and an energetic style. The feel of a burning, expanding fire is captured in the strong lines of this painting.

Overall, this painting gives the viewer a sense of immediacy. The fire is larger than life; it fills the page and seems ready to leap off. The danger and excitement of a fire is captured, especially its motion and its need for expansion. This painting draws the viewer into the ancient discourse between man and fire that is fueled by man’s fascination with fire’s destructive and expansive power.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Tainted Grass - Art

Tainted Grass depicts a landscape dominated by grass. Upon looking at the blades of grass lined up against their sky blue background, the viewer immediately notices the gradual change of color in the blades of grass as the eye moves across the painting. The healthy green color of the blades of grass on one end of the canvas is gradually replaced by a sickly pale color tinged with brown. This gradual fading suggests aging and deterioration, and even sickness and contamination. The grass comes to represent people, and their journey from youth to old age, from birth to death, from innocence to corruption.

Yet the journey is not simply one-directional. On the far end of the canvas, beside the greenest, freshest blade of grass is a single, completely brown blade of grass. This blade of grass appears to be dead, or nearly so, particularly when juxtaposed against the young, green blade of grass next to it. By placing this dead, dry blade of grass right beside the youngest blade of grass, the artist makes a statement about the way that life renews itself. Though this brown blade of grass is dying, another springs forth to take its place.

The artist of Tainted Grass has created a moving image that represents the cyclical nature of life. Like the grass in the painting, human life is created and deteriorates, only to spring new life again. This painting is compelling and draws forth a myriad of questions and tangential ideas in the viewer.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Mystic Flower - Art

In Mystic Flower, a single, tropical flower dominates a portrait of a human figure. The figure in this painting is abstract, the face indistinct and featureless. The flower covers nearly half of the figure’s face, and a vibrantly colored structure on the other side of the figure resembles a coral reef, its lines branched and forked like growing coral in the ocean. This painting suggests the power of natural forces over mankind. Though man has learned to thwart nature in many ways through use of technology, nature remains a force to be reckoned with. The power of nature is represented in the flower’s ability to obscure so much of the figure’s face, blotting out his face and giving him a kind of insignificant anonymity.
The color scheme of this piece is quite vibrant and draws the viewer in immediately. The tropical tones of this piece bring to mind a Caribbean island, with its many flowers and natural objects of beauty. Though the human figure is a prominent feature of this painting, it is the natural objects in this piece that have the most beauty to offer. The coral is striking in the background, and the bright yellow of the flower is vibrant and reflects this living thing’s energy and light. Mystic Flower is a colorful piece that is both visually pleasing and emotionally affecting.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

The Bomb - Art

The Bomb, a disturbing piece in stark shades of red and black, is a commentary on the nature and history of human weapons and war. The explosive burst of red that covers the painting’s landscape represents the explosion of a powerful bomb in the context of a war. Red is commonly associated with heat and fire, the natural offspring of any explosion. The red plumes of fire seem to rise upward from the source of the explosion, wafting up toward the sky.

The black streak that crosses the image of the explosion is a significant commentary on the detonation of this bomb. In one sense, the black mark forbids the explosion, crossing it out in disapproval. In another sense, this black streak mars the painting’s landscape. Otherwise, the image of the explosion could be seen as beautiful. The black mark disrupts the landscape, a symbol of the destruction and human sorrow that accompanies this breathtaking phenomenon.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

The Flower Family - Art

The Flower Family is a colorful piece in primary colors that depicts a group of tall, elegant flowers set against a stark white background. Blues and reds dominate the painting’s color scheme, and the juxtaposition of these two primary colors is quite striking. The two colors blur at the edges at certain points in this painting, while at others the demarcation between blue and red is sharp and clear. These primary color flowers are beautiful and evocative, an image of natural beauty in a bare, abstract setting.

The family of flowers in this painting are linked by common characteristics, yet maintain a significant level of individuality, much like members of a human family. Just as family members are made up of shared genetic elements, all four of these beautiful flowers are composed of the same colors. Yet they maintain individuality, and each flower is painting in different configurations of red and blue. The color red dominates some flowers, while others are composed primarily of blue. This co-existence of linked family traits and individuality reflects the nature of family in general, making The Flower Family a thought-provoking and worthwhile piece.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Robinly - Poem

thriving on the unknown and seeking everything
I place my thoughts in your mind
in order to see where I am going
where am I?

the genisis of my nature is not apparent
seek not what you are lookng for
but what is suppose to come to you
is it you?

the light shows me your soul
your heart shows me who you are.
capturing your true essence is without doubt
make me see you for who you are.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Something to think about

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit-Aristotle

The Performer - Art

In The Performer, a single abstract figure set against a simple white background reveals the nature of the performing arts and the performer who participate in them. The isolation of the lone figure reveals the solitary nature of the performer’s duties. The performer is not necessarily connected with his or her audience. Rather, the performer has an often-lonely job, separated from the rest of his fellow humans by his position on a stage, just out of reach.
The spare white background against which the image of the performer is set suggests yet another facet of the life of a performer. By definition, the onstage musician, singer, dancer, actor, or other artist must create a performance. Though written music, pre-planned choreography, or a clever script may assist in creating this performance; in essence it does not exist until the performer creates it. In this way, the performer creates something out of nothingness each time he or she takes the stage. This nothing is represented in the stark white background that the performer alone must fill.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

The Prayer - Art

The Prayer is a haunting piece with spiritual overtones. This beautiful watercolor is presented in a color scheme made up of two colors – blue and red. These colors complement each other, the warmth of the red bringing out the cooler qualities of the blue. The painting’s form is loose and improvisational in the manner of an impromptu, heartfelt prayer. This piece is quite emotionally affecting, and the viewer can feel the weight and substance of the prayer being uttered here.
In this piece, the blue figure is bent as though in prayer. Blue, a color associated with peace and tranquility, reflects the calm emotional state of a person in prayer. The vibrant red circle over which the figure is bent is a key feature of the painting. The red color of the orb suggests heat and energy – perhaps the force and power of the figure’s faith embodied in a spherical image of heat. A beautiful, spiritual piece, The Prayer uses color to imbue the mood with a deeply religious tone.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

The Unhappy Flower - Poem

Constant questions about what I do
do you really care about what I wear
Is your concern authentic?
you fakeness is showing

covering up the jealously is abvious
hiding behind the lipstick is your haven
pour on the life
envy your emptiness?

gestures of truth spawn hate
contol is not a word
it's an issue
you have none.

power

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

The Unhappy Flower - Art

In The Unhappy Flower, a flower under an atmospheric canopy is the painting’s subject. The flower has an uneasy relationship with its environment. The atmosphere around the flower deflects dangers from the outside universe, such as the comet that can be seen barreling toward the flower from one side of the painting. In this way, the atmosphere is an important protective force for the flower.

However, the atmosphere also has a negative effect. The sun’s heat is trapped by the atmosphere, as is indicated by the duplicated sun sketched in below the atmosphere. This painting has a very important message for our society, which is facing the challenges of global warming and emissions build-up in the atmosphere. The heat levels rise as the sun’s light is trapped in the flower’s little bubble of atmosphere, a rise in temperature represented by the monochromatic red color scheme chosen for this painting. Known to be a color indicating heat and fire, the red shade in this painting creates a feeling of rising temperatures and uncomfortable levels of heat.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Tornado - Art

Tornado is a dark, forbidding painting that evokes emotions of fear and impending danger. The tornado shown in this piece is extremely large, filling the painting itself, and this windstorm has a powerful presence. The landscape of the painting is primarily dark, giving this piece a sense of foreboding and danger. The darkness of the depiction also reflects the destructive nature of a tornado, its capacity to devastate and to destroy what we value most.

The destructive power of the tornado is also reflected in the reddish streak that runs through the cyclone cloud. This red color represents heat and energy of the tornado, the roiling, barreling energy of the violent wind, portrayed as though it is poised to carry the viewer away, the cyclone’s menacing train-whistle sound almost audible in the air. Tornados have been a frightening part of mankind’s existence for many centuries, and Tornado is a fearless study of this dangerous and fascinating natural phenomenon.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Tornado - Poem

twisted in my dreams and
collapsed upon my lungs and
opposed to the oncoming winds, I
receive you unconditionally

lifted with hesitation and
grappled with fear and
tossed aside like there is no meaning, I
believe that you are here for something

in the absence of reality and
justifying your presence and
controlling my own future, I
leave



©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Traveled Road - Art

Traveled Road is a brightly lit aerial view of the landscape below. A curved yellow road is featured in this painting, and blocks of color line the road on both sides. These color swatches have meaning and reflect different elements of the landscape. The sky is painted a deep, surreal blue. The colored blocks and circles represent the man-made elements of the landscape—buildings, cars, billboards, and other artificial objects.

The natural elements of the landscape are represented in the brown swath that runs alongside the yellow road. Brown is a natural color, a color that brings an impression of life and nurturing warmth. The brown swath of color is small in comparison to the unnatural elements of the landscape, a reflection of the impact that man has had on his environment. Traveled Road is a colorful piece with significant, bright colors placed into an interesting juxtaposition.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Diamond Maze - Poem

from blinded eye to blended lives
capturing natures thirst for survival
traveling through frosted lenses
I take what I can

leveling this playing field with knives
crossing your doorsteps within an effort
to stop looking toward the past
I take what I can

enjoing my spirit and time flies
finding my way past life
I look to you for support
I take what I can

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Diamond Maze - Art

Diamond Maze is an uncluttered painting featuring a winding path, at the end of which is a diamond. The winding path ends in a coiled spiral at the center of the painting. Along the meandering lines that make up the maze mentioned in the painting’s title are simple shapes – circles and a diamond in shades of black and green. These objects along the maze are the “diamonds,” the valuables that are to be collected as the eye moves along the length of the line.

The color scheme of this piece includes black and green, as well as a predominantly gray background. The gray and black give the painting a colorless feel, which makes small objects that appear in vibrant green shade stand out as a focal point of the piece. Green is a significant color in this painting, because it is often associated with greed and money, as are diamonds. In this way, Diamond Maze provides an image of diamonds and their acquisition in a simple, visually affecting image.



©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Connections - Poem

plot points on a map can't connect me to you
the blank stars can't bring our minds together
we move about like robots.... searching
conveniently leaving loved ones at the side line

longing for the embrace that captures all feelings
sympathizing with the unconscious need to disconnect
crying inside because you do want to belong
here

varied notions of oneness evade you
critical moments missed as you turn away
face me and the fears that have haunted you
we are all connected... this day.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Connections - Art

Connections captures the strange and often puzzling nature of the connections that exist in the universe. A series of crisscrossing lines represent the connections and relationships between the multi-colored circles that line opposite edges of the painting. The relationships do not form with the closest connecting dot, rather the relationships meander across the painting, some of them coming to a final destination on the opposite end of the painting. The paths of these connections reveal that connections and relationships form in unpredictable ways.

The connections depicted in the painting could exist between any number of different kinds of entities. For example, connections of this type can be made between related ideas, often in surprising ways, as suggested by the painting. Also, personal relationships can form between seemingly disparate types of people, revealing that connections can happen in surprising and unforeseen ways.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Dark Mother - Art

In Dark Mother, a dense, dark background dominates the painting, and an abstract figure becomes the central focus of this piece. This painting is extremely dark, the background stark and black, its dense darkness only interrupted by a halo of white surrounding the figure in the painting. The shape in this painting is the figure of the mother alluded to in the painting’s title, her shape reduced to basic lines, yet her nurturing nature is captured in the lightness that surrounds here.

In this painting, the maternal power to comfort and protect is captured. The mother in this painting emits a light from her very being, illuminating the frightening dense darkness of her surroundings. She is a beacon against the darkness, a protector in the face of danger and uncertainty. The role that this mother plays in lighting the darkness around her is the role of mothers in human history, an observation that gives Dark Mother an insightful quality.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Dark Mother - Poem

hidden from the accolades of being all
often forgotten in the midst of successes
shallow words of praise follow us
canvasing for real depth isn't needed

walking in the shoes of someone that will go anywhere
wearing the dress that knows no boundaries of work
hearing the happiness in the voice that encourages
is given freely and without superficial reasons

embraced by many that pass her by
cloaked in a darkness that only shows dashes of light
these mothers stand where no other dare look
without question.... invisible and always present

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

I am excited and happy! Yay! I have grown-ups. The life chapter progresses.

Dolphine - Art

Dolphine is a portrait of a swimming dolphin, which is a graceful sea creature that holds a great fascination for mankind. The dolphin in this piece is portrayed in a drab, monochromatic gray color scheme. This absence of vibrant colors focuses the viewer’s attention on the shape of the figure of the dolphin. The dolphin appears to be floating in the water, its body comprised of graceful curves and smooth lines.

The dolphin is a unique animal that has been of interest to mankind for centuries. A mammalian sea creature, the dolphin breathes air like a typical land mammal, yet it lives in the oceans. This dual nature is fascinating, and the dolphin is an animal that has been studied and depicted by mankind since its discovery. Dolphine is a visually beautiful piece that reflects a longstanding relationship between dolphins and humanity..


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Dolphine - Poem

diving freely into the world of life
living to live free but finding bondage
opening yourself to the wisdom of the wind
climbing further now into yourself

able to keep up with the weary
not competing on the level of the hungry
success isn't coming for you
attack it stress free and live

challenging the flow of serious minds
you turn to have your own line
produce and set forth a different path
dive into life through another's eyes


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Graduations

My daughters graduation is coming up and I am thinking of a short story to write about graduations. My own was not as great as it should have been. Writing about it should help.

Dancing Cherry Blossoms - Art

Dancing Cherry Blossoms is a lovely painting that captures the delicate beauty of cherry blossoms in bloom. The individual cherry blossoms themselves are not actually depicted in a naturalistic way. Instead, the suggestion of a full, blooming cluster of the beautiful, fragrant flower is given by painting ruffled, frilly lines that evoke the image of thousands of blossoms all clustered together in the cherry trees. This abstract depiction suggests a vast expanse of blooming cherry blossoms.

Though this painting depicts the natural beauty of blooming flowers, it is abstract in nature. This depiction of cherry blossoms has a dream-like, surreal mood. In this way, the nature of a blooming cluster of cherry blossoms is captured, rather than the literal image of the flowers in bloom. The emotional effect of the beautiful flowers takes precedence over an accurate depiction in Dancing Cherry Blossoms.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Dancing Cherry Blossoms - Poem

Clustered like a family in need
working together for a similar goal
strength in numbers
power in unity

turn and twist in the wind
trees of a lighter nature appear majestic
akin to a great forest with unlimited power
awakened by the simple nature of it all

limitless opportunities abound
through conscious efforts to blend in
catch the obsolete ones before death
save the whole from destruction


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Desert Flower - Poem

Standing alone and discreet among the dirt of the earth
often finding solace when there is no water
safety in numbers is a myth in this time of need
adjust accordingly to the depth of waiting

crying softly into the night suggest an empty soul
illogical are the thoughts of comfort before shame
intense sessions of forgiveness give way to torture
however slight, the thought of the horizon drifts

stand there waiting for a moment of rescue
fondling the foundation on which you stand
waiting continuously for not
stand..... stand

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Desert Flower - Art

In Desert Flower, vibrant, striking colors capture the beauty of a flower that grows in one of the most hostile environments in the world. The flower in the painting is depicted in bright coral shades, a color that is associated with warmth and life. The flower is an example of the tenacity of life, for it is able to survive, even thrive, in a nearly waterless environment.

The water source from which the desert flower derives its moisture is also depicted in this painting. The large patch of blue represents a desert oasis, a lone body of water that provides a central hub for all life in the desert. The colorful images of the flower and the oasis are set in a brown background that represents the rest of the desert at large. Desert Flower is an abstract piece that nevertheless captures truthfully the conditions that exist in the desert.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

The shopping website will be up and running mid July 2009. http://groupglobal.net

Death Screams - Poem

were it not for your screams, I would not hear your pain
crying not for me, but for someone who does care
ask not why I do not rush to your aide
a slow death becomes you

no one can see you due to your soulessness
deserving of nothing yet receiving everything
caution is thrown into the sea
down beneath your feet

allow others to see you open
close your mind to the hate you possess
life is available to you
embrace it before you die





©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

random thoughts

I am going to take a photography course. I think it will help me with my art and writing.


Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Death Screams - Art

Using simple, solid, dark lines, Death Screams captures the natural human fear of impending death. The “scream” referred to in the painting’s title is not depicted in any traditional form. There is no gaping mouth captured in mid-scream, nor a frightening scene depicting a gruesome death. Instead, an abstract image is the focal point of this piece, its swooping arcs providing the sense of danger that gives this painting its dark, fearsome mood.

The figure in the painting appears to loom overhead, tall and imposing. This frightening figure dominates the landscape. A symbol of impending death and the mortality that hangs over all living things, this figure gives the impression of an omnipresent threat, shapeless and names, yet always felt.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Asiatic - Poem

Piercing the petals of society to build anew
gathering timeless history to pass along
believing that history will repeat itself
cherish the ways of the culture

a fall from grace does not mean disgrace
allowing for time to heal all wounds
strive for the time to create new memories
death does not derive from the fallen

challenge yourself to grow without water
reach the height of achievement forthright
achieving enlightenment comes slowly
growth stands forever and ever



©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Asiatic - Art

Asiatic is a vibrant piece that captures the mystery and captivating power of flora from other regions of the world. The flower in the painting is a deep, alluring shade of red, and its shape is instantly recognizable as a flower, yet it does not seem to be a familiar specie of plant. Rather, this is an unusual type of flower, perhaps Asiatic in origin, as suggested by the title. The flower is beautiful and strange, drawing the viewer into a closer examination.

The flower is very beautiful, yet it has dangerous qualities as well. Below the beautiful crimson petals, the flower’s stem is covered in thorns. These thorns serve as a warning about the dangerous of the unknown. Though the flower is alluring, it has potential dangers that are inherent in its unfamiliarity. The nature of the unknown is skillfully evoked in this uncluttered portrait of a flower.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Concerned Form - Art

Concerned Form is an uncomplicated piece painting in broad, yet airy strokes of red. The bent figure in the painting has few details; it is merely the suggestion of a shape. Yet this figure is instantly recognizable as the image of a human bent down to kneel on the ground. This posture suggests prayer, grief, pain, and other key elements of the human experience. The kneeling shape of this figure evokes immediately emotional response in the painting’s viewer.

The red color that is featured in this painting is significant to note as well. Red is associated with danger and warns of impending danger. This color of danger is suggestive of the source of concern alluded to in the painting’s title. The figure in the painting is consumed with this worry, the alarming red shade covering the entire form. Concerned Form is an exceedingly simple piece that effectively captures the all-consuming nature of worry.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Concerned Form - Poem

cherish the things that are not so little
believe that the children will be much more than one expected
love and trust yourself more
walk tall because I need a role model

distance your hate with genuine kindness
invite me to sit and listen to you
know that I will finally hear you
guess not what I want from thee

my loyalty is adrift with you
trust me through shallow eyes
communication is our key
our solution


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Aqua Relaxation - Poem

lay back and feel the power
you have a grand command of it now
settle your thoughts and float away
careful to take yourself round that pond

no rush to find the pressures of today
excel in letting life slip by
create a shallow story before you lay down
let the days' sorrows leave you

close your eyes
close your soul
close your body
open your mind

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Aqua Relaxation - Art

In Aqua Relaxation, the soothing qualities of water are captured in this monochromatic piece with very simple, elegant lines. The lines of this painting have gentle curves and a cool, teal color. The cool shade used for this color scheme evokes the ocean, its cooling waves apparent in the meandering lines of the figure in the painting. The teal color in this painting is typically associated with the cool, tranquil characteristics of water.

A human-like figure appears in the soft curves of the painting. This figure appears to be floating along in the water. This human shape is in a reclining position, lying atop the crest of the waves in a comfortably relaxed state.. Contemplating this figure brings about a soothing, tranquil feeling in the painting’s viewer. Aqua Relaxation, a piece that captures the calming effects of the water, is a simple piece with significant emotional impact.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

All Eyes On You - Poem

feelings, emotions, thriving now
can't very well see what's not available
the vision is here for observation
contrasts in attitude are heavy

begin to feel the hands and eyes
embrace their attention
detach your soul from aspirations
blinding trust isn't real

see me near you
right in front of your heart
see me in you
see me



©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Black Women, Black Queen, Black Mother

Idea for a new play.

Copyright ©2009 Claretta Taylor Webb

All Eyes On You - Art

All Eyes On You is a monochromatic, freeform piece composed of simple geometric figures. The charcoal color scheme of this piece removes the distraction of color from the viewer’s eye, focusing the attention on the shapes that make up this painting. A shaded square is a prominent figure in this piece, as well as a circle divided into two halves – one light and one dark. These two shapes are separated, existing in separate sections of the painting.

This separation between the shapes is significant to consider. A thick, black line divides the two simple shapes, confining each one to a lonely sector of the painting. In this way, the painting provides a commentary on the nature of isolation. Solitude often brings out the most elemental features of a person’s nature, just as these two shapes are simple, basic figures. By separating the two figures, allowing no contact between them, they are reduced to their most basic shapes.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Blended Death - Poem

Unlike the millions of souls before you
You live
Like the unworthy after you
You suffer

Beneath the settling cruelty
You survive
Out in the open for all to see
You live

Demise is for those that give up
Not you
Press on through the pain
live

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Blended Death - Art

This painting is vibrant and colorful, and it creates a sense of excitement. The lines of the painting are curved, and stripes of color appear to be swooping across the canvas. The painting uses a wide variety of colors, yet it maintains a balance of warm and cool colors. Warm shades of brown, yellow, apricot and coral complement cool tones in aqua, teal, deep blue, lavender, green, and purple. The colors swirl together in a lively, fluid formation that suggests intense movement.

A focal point in the midst of the swirling color of the painting, a patch of white draws the viewer’s eye. Here is the painting’s most light-reflective point, the center of the colorful flurry of activity where all the colors blend to create a point of white light. This white segment of the painting provides a welcome contrast to the chaotic energy and vibrant colors that make up the rest of the piece.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Blue Storm - Art

Blue Storm is an enigmatic piece featuring a dark, ominous cloud as the central figure of the painting. This cloud is not hazy or airy in texture; rather, it is composed of broad, strong strokes of color, creating an opacity that evokes a thunderstorm which has covered the sky in a thick cloak of clouds that is impenetrable to the eye. The roiling plumes of the cloud twist and bend around each other, giving an impression of strong winds and writhing movement.

The blue color of this storm has significance, for the color blue is often associated with water, suggesting that this is a cloud that will bring torrential rain. Blue is also associated with cold, so perhaps the rain could in fact be a blizzard of dense and relentless snow. In either case, the storm in the painting is an ominous image of pending natural disaster.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Blue Storm - Poem

thrust through the tsunami winds to tame time
like running without a destination in mind
sinking in the sands of a turbulent undertow
moving without vision into an unknown world

blanketed by serious effort to find freedom
thrashing about in your minds eye
leveling the movement with rash reaction
slowing down only to see the frame

overpowered by sudden strong movements
only to find the smallest of intentions
creating a disturbance that calms the soul
quiet now, hear it approaching.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Cabbage River - Poem

Cabbage River
I stood upon a river high
To watch the waves going by
Lest the stillness waits for me
Caution thrown to the wind

Trees and breezes surround the canvas
Shaking, moving, leaning forward
Savoring the protection of the sky
Dragging wilderness from its mouth

Bellowing screams encourage living
Out from the dunes and into the stream
Follow progress or what it seems
Walk quietly across, slowly as you go

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Cabbage River - Art

Cabbage River is a whimsical, surreal piece in which vegetables grow in the unlikely habitat of a flowing river. In this painting, the agricultural binds with the wild, a domesticated crop of cabbages finding a home in the wild setting of a natural river. This pairing of domestic and natural indicates that mankind is in fact a part of nature, and the agricultural and technological innovations of humanity become a determining factor in the direction in which our world will evolve.

The cabbages in the painting line up into orderly rows in the river, revealing that man has in many ways tamed nature, forcing it into a recognizable and controllable pattern. The river appears to be flowing quickly, well-placed streaks revealing the movement in the painting. Yet the cabbages remain intact in their rows, suggesting the ever-firmer grasp that mankind has over the environment.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved