The River Woman - Art

The River Woman captures the movement and essence of a flowing river. The clear, strong lines of the painting reveal the river’s constant, forward-moving water. Though the piece is simple, the viewer can easily see the river and its rippling current moving forward across the painting. The simple, black-and-white image of the river is nevertheless an effective and moving depiction of the river.

Yet this piece is not simply black-and-white; a streak of pink runs through the river’s water. Pink, a color associated with femininity, captures the feminine characteristics of the river. Nature is often considered to be a feminine force, and the river’s female essence links it with the rest of the natural world. The river appears mighty, its movement unstoppable and having great momentum, yet the river is feminine as well. A river nurtures life, for it is the home of many types of wildlife and provides a water source to others. Herein lies the river’s true strength, its feminine power to nurture and care for others.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

The Wilting Flower - Art

The composition of The Wilting Flower is simple, yet its simplicity gives the piece a certain kind of mysterious quality. The flower is featured in the painting, along with two crossed blades of grass. There is no other object in the piece. The flower seems to be wilting from the bottom up, its stem curved under the weight of its still turgid and blooming petals. The painting is structurally simple, and the two figures, the flower and the blades of grass, share the focus of the piece.

Because the flower appears to be wilting from the bottom up, a core problem is alluded to – a corruption that comes from the root of the plant itself. This is the nature of most corruption; its seeds are found in the soul of the corrupted entity. The flower’s ultimate destruction comes from a problem within itself, something found deep in its underground roots.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Tsunami Fountain - Art

Teeming with energy, Tsunami Fountain is a painting that invokes the force and energy of water, a natural element of great power. The water in this piece fills the frame to the edges; nothing else can be seen. The water is not only blue, but also green, an interesting depiction. Water, which is often portrayed in shades of blue, is also a source of and home to many different forms of life. The green color in the water is a representation of the life that exists in the planet’s bodies or water and also water’s importance to the continuation of life.

Yet the tsunami is also a destructive force, a force that has destroyed the lives of many people. In the world of the painting, mankind has tamed this force, bending the powerful wall of water to our collective will. The tsunami itself has become a fountain, a controlled, human-managed flow of water. The tsunami fountain is a source of pleasure for people, rather than a destructive force to be feared and loathed. Tsunami Fountain is a visionary piece that looks toward a better future built upon human potential.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Inviting Life - Art

In Inviting Life, a warm, monochromatic color scheme provides a sense of heat and life that is both uplifting and visually striking. The rosy color chosen for this piece is both beautiful and inspiring. This pinkish-red color provides a sense of warmth, which gives the image in the painting the appearance of a living thing with natural body heat. Rosy colors are also often associated with optimism, and this shade gives the painting a sense of expectant joy, of waiting for good things to happen.

The abstract figure in this piece does not have the appearance of a naturalistic human figure, yet its shape suggests humanity in general. By giving this figure an abstract shape, the artist allows this man or woman to stand as a symbol for humanity itself, and the great potential for good that mankind has inherent to its nature. The arms of this figure are outstretched, as though reaching for great heights. This posture represents humanity’s ambition, its yearning for better things.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Famine of beauty

War Approaching - Art

A fine painting featuring three colors, War Approaching gives the viewer an unexpected impression of the glory and notoriety that exist alongside the death and destruction of war. The green leaves arching across the painting bring to mind the laurel leaves used to decorate the victors of war in ancient Roman society. These leaves were a symbol of honor and success, and the wearer was a privileged personage in Roman society, a recipient of praise and gifts. These green leaves show the promised spoils of the approaching war – victory and honor.

Though war is a noble pursuit with potentially positive results, no war can be fought without dangerous and deadly weapons. The weapons in this painting are represented by the rays of yellow that rise up from the edge of the piece. These rays glint yellow with light and heat – they represent the swords and rifles of the impending war. Here, under the laurels of victory, also reside the dangers of war.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Island Flower - Art

Island Flower is a beautiful, vivid painting that depicts a unique tropical landscape. A predominantly green background captures the natural lushness of a tropical setting. The green vegetation fills the landscape of the painting, revealing the fertility and beauty of the islands. Vibrant colors fill this painting, revealing the intensity of the tropical beauty that is the subject of this piece. In the painting’s world, colors are almost unnaturally bright and beautiful, creating an exaggerated version of a tropical island paradise.

Palm trees appear in this painting’s landscape, as well as the beach and the ocean. Yet the central focus of this piece is an enlarged flower, which stands taller than the nearby palms. The flower occupies the central position in this piece, highlighting its importance. The flower looms over the ocean, an imposing ruler of the island. This island seems devoid of human interference, and the flower’s size and prominence indicates that nature rules supreme here, not humanity.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Justice - Art

In Justice, distorted circular shapes line up to create a pattern in a beautiful, pastel-colored piece that illustrates the nature of human justice. The pastel colors used in this piece create an idyllic mood for the painting. Justice is a lofty concept, and it is one that has been a part of mankind’s philosophy for centuries. The distribution of fairness is a difficult challenge, yet humanity’s desire to do so is noble, marking one of our greatest characteristics.

Yet the distorted shape of the circles portrayed in this piece reveal that humanity often fails in this idealistic pursuit. The circles are not perfect, rather they are misshapen, as though formed by an imperfect hand. In the same way, justice is imperfect, often malformed because of its necessary distribution by flawed human minds. Yet the pursuit remains admirable, just as the painting is beautiful, despite its irregular composition.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

I am trying to learn Final cut pro. This software in awesome. I need to find a tutorial that is live.

Known Communication - Art

Known Communication is a spare, minimalist piece in a monochromatic color scheme. The wispy, ethereal image depicted in this piece has a graceful, light appearance, as though it is floating through the air. The communication referred to in the painting’s title might be the sound of a spoken word, a wireless signal, an image from a television program – all of these things travel through their air to reach the eyes and ears of the recipient.

A hint at the nature of this communication lies in the image itself. To one side of the floating signal, the form of a musical note can be seen. This symbol indicates that the communication is music. As noted by the title, music is the most universal of messages, and the most likely to be “known” by its hearers. Known Communication reveals the universal music of nature, whether it travels from singer to audience across a concert hall or travels thousands of miles to a radio in some remote location.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Net positive -

I need ballet dancers for my video project.

Lapsed Fences - Art

In Lapsed Fences, broad strokes depict the abstract form of several fences, laid out in a parallel configuration. The fences are painted in broad strokes, yet they are not particularly strong, and the pastel color chosen for this image suggests that they are fading away. Punctuated by breaks in the color, these long lines seem broken and disrupted, as though unexpectedly interrupted.

Fences and boundaries represent loss of freedom, even imprisonment. The fences shown in this painting are symbols of inhibition and oppression. Yet they are “lapsed,” or rather they have broken spaces that interrupt the lengths. These breaks in the fence represent restrictions that have been released – progress that has been made. A hole in any fence reduces its power dramatically. Though the fences remain, they no longer have the same power

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Global Fist - Art

In Global Fist, a vibrant color scheme is set against dark gray, providing a contrast that is visually striking. The outline of a fist can be seen in the figure that is the central feature of this painting. This gray fist is outlined in strong black lines, and it presents an imposing appearance. The strong lines and dark outline of the fist create an impression of power and force. The impressive appearance of this fist indicates far-reaching influence and importance.
Interspersed within the gray fist are stripes of color. These vibrant colors represent the diverse elements that appear to be under the fist’s control. This is truly a “global fist,” as it appears to have control over a wide range of elements, its influence global and far-reaching. Global Fist is a vibrant, compelling painting that illustrates the nature of power and its widespread impact on the surrounding world.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Wild Flowers - Art

Wild Flowers is a beautiful image of flowers growing in the wild, presented in an somewhat naturalistic artistic depiction. Set against a surprising beige background, the flowers rise up out of the earth, growing strong and tall with dark blooms reaching for the sky. Though the shape and form of the flowers is instantly recognizable, the image of the flowers has many unexpected features. For example, most of the color in the piece exists outside of the flowers’ petals. The stems are outlined with vibrant shades of green and teal, but the flowers themselves are a deep, charcoal gray. Though one might expect the flowers’ blooms to be the most colorful object in such a painting, the artist turns these expectations on their end, surprising the viewer and evoking an emotional response.

The fan-like shape of the flowers is also interesting. The flowers seem to unfurl toward the sky, as though they might be praying toward the heavens. The beige color of the background has warm overtones, and this gives the impression of sunlight and warm summer air. The sun’s rays beam down upon the flowers, warming the air and providing the plants with energy and life. In return, the flowers face the sky in reverence, praying to the life-giving force of the sun.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Earsome - Art

In Earsome, an abstract figure draws the viewer into closer examination and contemplation of the surrounding sounds in his or her environment. A gray hazy background fills the painting, and a single figure takes central importance in this freeform, monochromatic piece. One end of the figure vague resembles an ear. Yet its form is abstracted, the lines simplified to create a single, diamond shaped cavity into which sound is drawn.

The ear-like figure is attached to a long stem that extends across the painting’s background. This stem is the method of transport that delivers the sound from the ear that collects it to the brain, the organ with the capacity to translate auditory stimuli into real, recognizable sounds. By focusing the viewer’s attention on the process of hearing, a greater awareness of sound is induced. Earsome invites one to capture the sounds of the surrounding world and to pay attention to the beauty and meaning of these sounds.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

5 things

Write down five things that you are grateful for. It could be the same things everyday. This is a good healthy habit to think about even if you don't have something new to add to your list.

Holy - Art

In Holy, a vibrant color scheme and simple, elongated forms create an impression of nobility and elevation. The color scheme in this piece is particular significant, and the painting features an electrically bright lime green shade, as well as yellow and a rich purple shade. Green is a color typically associated with nature; yet the green shade used in this piece seems to glow almost unnaturally, as though it comes from some otherworldly source. The other striking color that appears in this painting is the rich royal purple that covers one side of the painting. A color associated with royalty, the purple section of the painting also supports this concept of elevation – of something quite out of the ordinary.

The three figures in the painting appear as elongated orbs, their shapes nondescript and very simple. Yet the shape of the figures themselves is not as crucial as the number of figures that appear. There are three shapes in all in this piece, making a clear reference to the Trinity of the Christian tradition. Together, these three shapes form a holy and powerful group, their strength increased by their number.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Foot Bot - Art

Foot Bot is a provocative painting that comments on the nature of machines and their role in human society. The robot in this painting is portrayed in gray tones, reflecting the cold, lifeless metal that is used to produce many machines. Yet the gray elements of the machine are interspersed in a warm red color. This red color represents blood and life, a symbol of humanity. The gray metal of the machine is set into the blood of humanity, reflecting the intense connection between humanity and the machines we have created to improve daily life.

In a sense, robots become the “feet” of mankind. These machines move humans where they want to go, perform undesirable tasks, and generally assist in doing the grunt work of daily life. In this way, the robots are the impetus for mankind’s movement forward, building our inventions on assembly lines, transporting people from one end of the globe to another, and allowing us to communicate ideas to produce further innovation. Foot Bot is a clever piece that illustrates the importance of robots and machines in the evolution of human society.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Nubian - Art

Nubian is a simple piece composed of broad strokes and a monochromatic color scheme. The Nubian race is considered by many to be the oldest human race in the world’s history. Emerging in northern Africa, particular in the area that is now called Sudan, the Nubian are an ancient race of people. The Nubian race is depicted in a simple, almost tribal symbol, which ultimately becomes a symbol of the emergence and subsequent dominance of the human race out of its origination in northern Africa.

The orange color of the abstract image featured in this painting is also suggestive of the nature of the creation of the human race. The color of fire, the orange shade in this piece reveals fire’s characteristic creative nature. Stars are born out of explosive fire, and so did planets cool from molten, fiery rock. By painting this abstract symbol of humanity in a fiery orange shade, the artist of Nubian points out that mankind owes its existence to the creative force of fire. In addition, as one of the oldest human races, the Nubians are closely linked to fire, its taming by mankind, and its overall importance to the continued existence of humans on this planet.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

The Usual Stops - Art

The Usual Stops uses color and technique to create an image that is both pleasing to the eye and inspiring to the imagination. The green streaks of color, which depict tranquility and harmony, have a calming effect. The delicate strokes used to paint these streaks of color give them a light and airy feel. The “stops” in the painting are the purplish circles scattered at points across the predominantly green image. These points represent isolated experiences, moments of clarity and imagination that occur in a tranquil and harmonious existence.

The color scheme of this piece is muted, except for one vibrant circle of pink. The other colors in this piece seem dimmer by comparison, and the brightness of the pink draws the viewer’s eye immediately. With The Usual Stops, the artist has created an attractive and interesting color study that has the potential to spark the imagination.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Workers - Art

Workers is a monochromatic, abstract painting with very simple lines. The simple lines of the painting are very strong and suggest movement. In this way, the painting emulates the simple, strong characteristics of its subject – the common worker. The lines of the painting are slanted and crossed, like a worker bending under the weight of his labor. The image of the oppressed industrial worker has been a prevalent subject in art since the Industrial Revolution. The worker’s importance to industry and his plight in the face of industrial mistreatment and overwork are primary concerns addressed in modern art.

By choosing a monochromatic color scheme in yellow, the artist creates a strong impression of heat and energy. Yellow is the color of heat and light, and this choice of color suggests that workers, the painting’s subject, are a source of energy and sustenance in today’s society. Workers are a sustaining force, important to industrial society, yet the painting also suggests underlying problems in the industrial system. Here and there, the yellow is tinged with a brown color, suggesting a system tainted by corruption and mistreatment of workers. In the world of the painting, workers have a conflicted role; they are both important contributors to society and an undervalued, mistreated class of people.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Zion - Art

Zion is an abstract painting with a cool, calming color scheme. As the painting’s title suggests, the central focus of this piece is the concept of Zion, which refers to the land of Israel, including the capital Jerusalem. The longing for Zion, or a return to the homeland, is a central feature of the Jewish experience. Yet Zion has come to represent more than just the land of the Israelites. Zion has been adopted as a term for any long lost homeland, and it has been used frequently in reference to the experience of enslaved people dispersed across the diaspora who long for a return to either a physical homeland or a sense of identity.

The cool tones used in this peace are calming and peaceful. This soothing color scheme reflects the peace of mind that accompanies the return to the homeland. Only upon arrival in the familiar, much sought after homeland can the wanderer take his repose. The cool blue and purple tones are often associated with calm and relaxation, and these pastel shades evoke a calming response in viewers of Zion.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Blocked Direction - Art

This piece has a very simple design in a single color. This monochromatic, abstract piece uses a vibrant shade of teal, which appears in broad strokes that create a freeform figure. This freeform design is the focus of the painting. The design has a sturdy appearance, its lines solid and broad. Yet the image seems to be blurred, as though the edges are dissipating and diffusing to the edges of the painting.

Teal is considered to be a color of relaxation. Indeed, this piece has a decidedly calming effect on the viewer. The solid freeform design, with its sharp angles and edges, can be thought of as one’s own stress and worry. Upon looking at this piece and allowing it to guide one into a state of relaxation and self-reflection, the viewer’s stress and worry begin to dissipate like the figure in the painting, no matter how solid and immovable the stress had seemed.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Cross Note - Art

In Cross Note, a monolithic gray figure occupies the central focus of the painting. This gray tower is imposing, and its top is menacingly dark, a swath of black shadow cast across its top. The dark figure in this piece is forbidding and inspires fear and anxiety in the painting’s viewer. The dark, monochromatic color scheme of this painting adds to the mood of danger and fear.

Yet the title of this piece suggests a musical subject for this painting. Indeed, the figure itself can be seen as the abstracted image of a musical note. The black bar across the top of the painting is the note, and the slender dark line that extends to the bottom is the note’s stem. The gray shade below the note is the residual sound that lingers after the note is sounded. Yet the painting remains dark and imposing, evoking the sound of a melancholy note ringing out in the sad song written in a mournful minor key.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Broken Star - Art

Broken Star is a colorful depiction of an awe-inspiring phenomenon that takes place in our universe – the death of a star. In this painting, the lines are quite simple, revealing two blue orbs, one of them nearly obscured by the edge of the painting, and lines of vibrant red that blaze across the landscape. The blue orbs are recognizable as the image of spherical stars out in the vastness of space. The red streaks emanate in every direction, like rays of light or energy coming from the stars.
The colors in this piece play a central role in imbuing this piece with meaning and significance. The cool blue color of the stars in the painting evokes the natural cooling process that accompanies the death of a star. The bright red streaks represent the heat and energy now departing from the star, floating out into the universe in the form of quickly traveling rays.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Curtsy - Art

In Curtsy, an abstract, faceless form bends in a traditional gesture of respect. The figure in the painting is defined primarily by its long arms and legs, appendages that are much more prominent than the figure’s head. This focus on the limbs, rather than the face and head, dehumanizes the figure, making it an abstract form without personality or a soul. The figure is diminished and subjugated to the authority to which it curtsies.

Indeed, the curtsy is a gesture that suggests inferiority, a traditional motion that is intended to indicate the superiority of one person over another. The subjugating nature of this action is captured powerfully in Curtsy, the figure in the painting bent and faceless, serving as a nameless example of inferiority, the identity of the figure completely subverted and erased by this humble action.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Secret Garden - Art

In Secret Garden, a landscape featuring the simple figures of a group of flowers is powerful. The monochromatic red color scheme of this piece is intriguing. Red flowers are commonly found and not difficult to imagine, but everything in this painting is red, including the ground and sky. The expansiveness of this red color creates a sense of danger and excitement. Red is a color often associated with warnings, and the nature of this secret garden seems yet uncertain – is it a peaceful refuge or a dangerous place?

The way that the sky is depicted in this piece is also quite interesting. With a great streak of color, the sky appears to be swooping down across the tops of the flowers. The sky appears to protect the flowers, yet the extreme movement of the sky is also somewhat threatening in nature. Hidden danger seems to lurk in this garden, and the sky is a forbidding reference to this unseen threat.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Prisms - Art

Prisms is a study in the refractive power of the prism, which is a powerful natural phenomenon with the capacity to split white light into the colors of light that combine to create pure, white light. Blocks of color in this painting are quite vibrant, and almost jewel-like in nature. The geometric, sharp edges of the blocks are like the sharp edges of a cut precious stone. Like the prism, these transparent jewels reflect and refract light in multiple directions.

The full range of the color spectrum is represented in this piece. From black to blue to yellow to red, the colors shine in this piece with the power of reflected light. The blocks of color seem to emanate from a central point, potentially the location of the prism alluded to in the painting’s title. Like light from a prism, the colors spring forth from a single point. Prisms is an interesting depiction of this captivating naturally refractive power.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Morning Communion - Art

Morning Communion is a monochromatic piece with clear, vividly drawn lines that are alive with motion. The arcs and curves of the lines seem natural, rather than artificial, and the painting becomes an abstraction of a scene in nature, a calm morning in the forest with a gentle, spiritual ambience. The forest is a hallowed ground upon which this morning communion takes place. In the abstract lines of the painting, one can make out the forest’s foliage, trees and flowers. It is here in this natural beauty that a person can make a meaningful spiritual connection.
Communion is a significant ritual in the Christian faith, yet this painting seems to evoke a different kind of communion. Featured in this piece is the importance of taking the time to build a communion – or togetherness—with nature and the beauty of the natural world. Personal growth accompanies this new appreciation for one’s surrounding, and Morning Communion moves the viewer to re-evaluate his or her priorities, perhaps deciding to take more time to appreciate the beauty around us.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Lonely - Art

In Lonely, a single, dark orb, cut off from all contact by the dangerous elements of its environment, inhabits a desolate landscape. The dark, monochromatic landscape imbues this painting with a melancholy, depressive mood. The blackness of this piece calls to mind the loneliness of the night, when fears and nightmares surface, and the sky is a dark ocean of solitude.

A dark and forbidding wall of clouds cuts the lonely little circle off from the light, lonely in its seclusion. This darkened, alternate moon is a sorrowful figure, and it evokes sympathy in the painting’s viewer. The dark, sad mood of this painting is evocative and strangely beautiful in its loneliness. Lonely is a beautiful, emotionally affecting piece that creates a vividly realized mood.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

River Freeze - Art

In River Freeze, the power of a flowing river is captured with an almost child-like whimsy. The river in this painting actually folds up into itself, the mouth of the river opening into a field of blue with horizontal lines marking the separate folds of the river. This is a whimsical way of depicting the effects of a dam on a river. The river’s water collects in a lake, though it is, of course, a solid mass of water, unmarked by division because of the fluid nature of water.

Yet this painting depicts the river as folding up into itself as it becomes backed up. This is a creative way of looking at the damming of a river, and perhaps reveals more clearly the unnatural effects of a dammed river. The folding of the river certainly makes the river appear as if it has been severely disrupted, collapsing into itself like a car’s hood crumpling in a head-on collision. River Freeze is a simple piece that depicts the effects of disrupting a river’s natural flow.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Seas - Art

Seas is a visually stimulating painting dominated by the color yellow. In this unique view of a ship at sea, the sky blazes yellow, and the viewer’s perspective of the landscape appears to be tilted. This tilted view gives the painting excitement and a sense of instability that is unnerving and provocative. The heat and energy of the yellow sky adds to the sense of excitement.

The image of the ship itself indicates a moment of great tension. The ship’s sail appears bowed, as though it had been blown back by a force of great energy. A black ball floats through the air, the image of a cannon ball about to collide with the ship. Clearly, the ship is mid-battle, facing danger, and the energy of the painting draws the reader into this dangerous situation with the ship.

The bright yellow sky brings energy to the painting that is perfectly reflected in the dramatic, action-packed situation of the ship. The sea depicted in the painting is a dangerous one, where attacks can happen at any moment. Yet the energy captured in the moment is not merely alarming but also exciting and compelling.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

I'm writing a new language

I need a name for it. Hmmmmm. I wonder if anyone will speak the language with me besides the children.

Freedom - Art

Freedom is an abstract piece with a monochromatic, charcoal color scheme. The freeform shapes in this painting vaguely resemble a mountain range set against a clear sky. The contrast between the gray shaded color of the mountain and the stark white of the sky behind it is striking, the border between mountain and sky marked with a sharp black line. The mountain range in this painting is dark, yet it does not appear menacing, but rather looks like it is merely cast in the subtle valley shadows created by the mountains themselves.

The association of mountains with freedom has had a long history in the story of humanity. Mountains are the highest landforms found on the planet, lifting up toward the heavens with strength and power. By climbing a mountain, a person can come closer than typically possible to a communion with the heavens. After climbing some of the highest mountains in the world, the mountain climber may feel as though he or she could easily fly away into the sky. It is this euphoric feeling of freedom and flight that is captured in this evocative painting.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Grave Digger - Art

In Grave Digger, an abstracted image in the form of a shovel sheds new light on the nature of life and death. The image in this painting resembles the broad end of a shovel, particularly one used in the digging of graves. The image of the shovel is dark and gloomy, an allusion to the tool’s morbid purpose. A dark, dense circle of black stands at one end of the shovel, perhaps an indication of the hole that the shovel is digging. Additionally, this dark, menacing orb could represent death itself, watching ever-present over the proceedings in the graveyard.

Though most of the painting features dark, gloomy shades of black and gray, one patch of color shines through. A stripe of green crosses the surface of the shovel, punctuating the darkness with a splash of color. This green patch can be interpreted in a literal sense as a blade of grass that was dug up with the soil when the gravedigger disrupted the earth in the cemetery. Yet the meaning of this blade of green is much more significant. Green is a color associated with new life, and the presence of this vibrant shade of green suggests the regenerative qualities of life. Though death claims one life, another life emerges, completing the cycle.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved