Claws - Poem

Claws
Digging to uncover your truth
Desperate lives depend on value
Taking the nested fields upon my chest
Deliver thy soul

Greatness isn’t manifested here
Obligated by tradition
Challenged by suspicion
Follow the path downward

Climb out of the bowel
Rise above the mystery of life
Careful to set aside trees
Strip away the shame


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Claws - Art

In Claws, the shape of a claw emerges from a stark, white background, creating an image that is both menacing and captivating. The landscape of this painting is bare, focusing the viewer’s attention on the image of the claw itself. A powerful arm reaches across the painting, its hand curled into a threatening claw. A dewclaw is visible on the arm, suggesting a mammal of some kind, perhaps a large, physically powerful species of cat.

Yet the claw has only one digit with even the suggestion of a sharp nail. The rest of the claw appears smooth and non-threatening. Perhaps this animal has been stripped of its power to a certain degree, whether by deteriorating environmental conditions, extensive and abusive hunting, or disease. Left with only one remaining claw, the animal still continues to fight for its survival, its claw maintaining a poised position, ready to strike at any moment.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

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Black Death - Poem

Black Death

Captured and caged
Stripped of dignity and pride
Walking onward with no permanent destination
Honesty exposed from the breast

Lifting up begins at the bottom
Retrieval hindered by years of hate
Retreat at your own peril
Onward

Killing oneself is not suicide
It is genocide
The anecdote
unity


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Black Death - Art

In this painting, the juxtaposition of the very warm colors of yellow and red with the cold finality of black calls up a primal connection in the mind and triggers many thoughts in the mind of the viewer. This painting makes one think of the sun, burning hot against the darkness of space, or a blazing sunset meeting the encroaching night. It might also make one think of a burning fire and its charred black remains.

Black, a color typically associated with death, is very provocatively paired in this painting with yellow and red, colors representing light and heat. This contrast between heat and energy and the cold darkness of death triggers a visceral human reaction upon viewing this painting. Immediately, the painting triggers feelings of fear, yet the viewer is also fascinated. The struggle to understand the source of life and energy and how it can so easily be extinguished is a universal feature of the human existence.


Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Sea Flower - Poem

deep to in the bowel of the sea
I lay resting beside your soul
It’s not moving now
Sleeping deeply

Consequences on the rim of that ocean
Unlikely to be a formidable opponent
The sunlight shines through you
Yet you are not surprised

Calmly walk to the edge
Come toward me again
I won’t be around that molten
I’m here now



Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Sea Flower - Art

Sea Flower portrays in vibrant colors the image of a flower in full bloom. The flower dominates the painting, though the deep reddish hue of the background also draws the viewer’s attention. The flower, floating in its strange, dark sea, is visually compelling. The painting creates an eerily tranquil mood, as though the viewer is taking a closer look at the flora in some dreamy new world, where the water is dark and strange, yet there is beauty floating on the surface. The painting creates a strong mood and a lasting impression.

The artist’s choice of color for the flower is also worth noting. The flower’s colors are not naturalistic; rather they are as unusual as the colors of the flower’s surroundings. The green streaks on the flower’s petals and the green center are unusual and again evoke the strange landscape of the painting. Yet, the ivory and pink petals are familiar and comforting, connecting the world of the painting with the natural world of the viewer.


Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Sharp Love - Poem

cutting like a knife, something hurts here
it's your voice....the noise
I exercise the strength not to respond
no response is required

though your feelings are optimal
you don't hurt like me
you are not me
you don't feel

the joy of everyday things escape you
bound by endless thoughts
I leave you to send this message
I don't love you anymore.



Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Sharp Love - Art

Drawing upon existing cultural associations, Sharp Love is a painting that observes the nature of human love. Upon first viewing of the painting, one immediately thinks of the mythological being Cupid, spreading love to mortals with his magic arrows. This painting draws upon that image, portraying a large arrow poised to pierce a heart. Yet there is more to this painting than simply a heart being affected by romantic love. This painting makes an assertion about the nature of human love.

The arrow is extremely oversized compared to the heart, which suggests that love can be overpowering. Love can be overwhelming to some people, eclipses all other concerns. Sharp Love’s heart and arrows are painted in both red and blue. Red, which is typically considered a red color, and blue, which is typically associated with masculinity, both appear in the heart and the arrow. This indicates that both male and female have the opportunity to assume either role, the pursuer or the object, the heart or the arrow.


Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Valley Range - Poem

Deep understanding of your voice
sometimes makes me wonder
when the surface is not tangible
look to the stars

let your guard down and walk with me
the guide is up there
sorrow is down here
not getting it?

life goes through leaps
lifetimes cram for silence
you hear nothing
walk with me


Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Valley Range - Art

In Valley Range, the beauty and majesty of a mountain range is captured in a monochromatic piece with strong, uncomplicated lines. The solid, dark circles have an imposing presence in the painting, and they represent the strength and majesty of ancient mountains. These circles comprise the mountain range alluded to in the painting’s title. The titular valley is finds shape in the gray-shaded figure at the center of the piece.

The depiction of the mountain range and its accompanying valley in Valley Range is modernistic and abstract, rather than a naturalistic depiction of a mountain valley’s true appearance. By creating an abstract, non-figurative picture of the mountains and valley, the essential nature the valley is captured, rather than simply portraying its physical attributes. The power of the mountains is evoked by the dense color saturation of the circles. By giving them a more compact appearance than a naturalistic image of the mountain, the artist imbues these circles with the sense of compressed energy and power. The valley, by contrast, is calm, its energy diffuse and airy as the light color saturation of its image. The valley is a peaceful place, set in the midst of the power and majesty of the mountains.

Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Trois Ghost - Poem

Empathy. Sacrifice. Love.
You beckon that you need me
Your passions precede your actions
In deed we try our best to move forward

In doubt, you run away
Scared of time
Endless anger keeps you full
Afraid of the future

Perhaps a pause in the right direction
Doubt….more doubt
Live with consequences – empathy, sacrifice
Die with dignity – love.

Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Troi Ghost - Art

In Troi Ghost, a dark, yet nearly transparent figure is featured as the painting’s subject. The figure has an ominous appearance, its dark shading and mysterious black mark creating a sense of apprehension in the viewer. The translucent nature of the figure’s body marks it as the ghost of the painting’s title. Though it has a forbidding appearance, the ghost is a beautiful figure, its graceful curves pleasing to the eye.

The black rectangle affixed to the front of the ghost’s body is a mysterious symbol. Its dark black color denotes some sinister nature, and evil boxed in for safekeeping only to be released to cause harm. Perhaps this is the ghost’s purpose, to release the evil held inside the pitch back box he holds. The ghost becomes a villainous figure, a harbinger of death and destruction, and a fearful apparition who holds a powerful force capable of great harm. Troi Ghost is a piece that may leave the viewer with an unexpected sense of apprehension.

Twolove Flowers - Art

This piece is a monochromatic painting focusing on the image of a cluster of fruit on the stem. The fruits, which appear to be cherries, are depicted in a single shade of purple. The cherries hang in the painting in a cluster of three from the top of the painting. The form of image merely suggests cherries. Only an outline of their shape is given, creating an impression that is not naturalistic, but rather quite surreal.

In fact, the cherries are painted in the color purple, an unusual color more befitting grapes. The cherries are an outline, a skeletal model for their true form. Though cherries are an everyday object, the painting’s treatment of this mundane item is remarkable and quite beautiful. The simple, strangely colored form found in the painting is a study in non-naturalistic depictions of ordinary objects.



Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Twolove Flowers - Poem

Love isn’t love without harm
Definition of which is truly unknown
Who picks the time and place?
Whom chooses the heart?

Inorganization flies in the face of accuracy
Do you trust what you see?
Do you see me?
One love

A gift for you from my heart
A lifted smile conveys me
I receive all
After all


Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Unruly Ocean - Poem

Pouring down through the lives of us
Waves crashing and pounding throughout
On earth’s river you find our souls
Crashing to be saved

The sound of power becomes you
Hear the crash
Feel the thunder
Amazing pace upon the beach

Lay back
The moon is rising again
The tsunami is coming
Wake up

Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Unruly Ocean - Art

Unruly Ocean is a striking piece, an artistic work that has possesses both clarity and insight at its heart. As suggested by the painting’s title, the ocean depicted in this piece is indeed unruly. Its waves seem to go this way and that, moving cross-directionally to each other. While some of the lines suggest vertical movement across the painting, others move horizontally. The camber of the waves is also widely varied. The waves are at time sharply curved, while at other times they have a loose, relaxed bend. The tighter curvature of the waves gives an impression of higher energy, while the limber, lazy waves of the water suggest repose and a calmer sea.

This uncluttered painting has simple lines, yet its meaning is undeniably sophisticated. The ocean in the painting represents life, with all of its seemingly conflicting characteristics and experiences. Like the unruly ocean in the painting, life is at times full of energy and movement and at other times calm and tranquil. As the waves in the painting move in different directions, so can life take a sudden turn in a new direction, abandoning the old trajectory completely. Unruly Ocean is simple piece invites the viewer into deeper contemplation of the nature of life.



Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Crisis Mode - Poem

Calamities arise seldom in retrospect
They are created where least expected
Found when obvious
Dreaded when needed

Preventable?
Perhaps
Telling?
Most definitely

Beyond the obvious
Seeking the easy answers
Delve into the possibilities of self
change





Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Crisis Mode - Art

Crisis Mode is a vibrant painting with dense color saturation. In this piece, three abstract figures huddle together, wrapping around each other in a posture that appears quite defensive. The suggestion of this image of the huddled figures is that this action is a common defense mechanism when a person is confronted with a crisis. During a crisis, people depend on one another, moving closer together in an effort to defend against danger. The huddled figures in the painting reflect the closeness that exists between people who experience a crisis together.

Each figure in this painting is a shown in a different color; orange, yellow, and blue are prominent colors in this piece. The many colors of these figures reveal that, during a crisis, divisions between different groups of people often disappear or are ignored. Differences in religious beliefs, political ideology and background vanish during a pressing crisis, a reality which is evocatively captured in Crisis Mode.



Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Dazed Drunk - Poem

Dazed Drunk

always in a haze
running away from your problems
fixated on the outward
nothing within

jealous of your neighbor
not concentrating on your treasures
speaking ill of the living
whilst living like the dead

put down the empty symbol
wake up to the possibilities
take control of yourself
manage your destiny

LIVE



Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Dazed Drunk - Art

In Dazed Drunk, a portrait is comically distorted to produce an amusing yet fascinating piece. The face in the painting is depicted with grossly distorted features. The nose is extraordinarily bulbous and large, and the eyes are set high on the face, appearing even to float somehow away from the surface of the face. An exaggerated mustache decorates the face, dominating the painting and concealing any expression the mouth may be making.

The figure does have the appearance of being drunken or dazed, as suggested by the title. The groggy appearance of the face in the portrait is primarily created by the slanted appearance and disproportionately small size of the face’s eyes. This gives an impression of sleepiness or lack of awareness. This painting is both humorous and visually appealing, making Dazed Drunk an effective and interesting piece that appeals to the viewer with a good sense of humor.


Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Easy Exit - Poem

simple solutions never come
effortless battles often disappoint
painless visions of success
causes uncomplicated consequences

trouble-free nights increase stability
while you wonder what comes next
take the road through troubled valleys
make your way beyond the mounted problems

difficult they may be
hard they will succumb
power is in the work
success is in the doing.



Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Easy Exit - Art

In Easy Exit, a simple red figure provides a beautiful, graceful focal point in a meaningful, evocative painting. The lines of this painting are quite simple and elegant. Graceful curves and a vibrant red color make this painting visually pleasing and rather calming to look at. Uncluttered and peaceful, this painting sweeps away the stress and clutter of the mind, offering viewers of this piece an “easy exit” from worries and stress through the contemplation of a truly beautiful, well proportioned work of art.

This painting is made up of a cluster of arcs that are overlapped to create an elegant, symmetrical design. The crossing of the arcs is skillful and provides a sense of order in this painting. The orderly arrangement of this piece is a welcome contrast to the hectic, frantic pace of the modern world. Easy Exit offers the viewer an escape into a world in which symmetry and orderly composition are the norm, providing welcome respite from the chaos of the universe.


Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Cultural Defense - Poem

Protect me
Protect us
Protect all
From what enemy

It is often within
Demons that need not speak
Anger that can’t be silenced
Helpless to challenge

Protection is guided by unity
Coveted by family
Increased by numbers
Broken only by the weak




Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Cultural Defense - Art

Cultural Defense is a simple, abstract piece with a primarily yellow color scheme. In this piece, warm shades of yellow blend with pale orange to create a vision of heat and light. Streaks of yellow and orange move across the painting’s landscape, traveling in ray-like lines that evoke the sun’s light and heat. A set of three streaks on one side of the painting seems to be moving at a high speed, movement suggested by the graduated traveling arrangement of the three swatches of color.

These three streaks of color appear to be prepared to bombard the large yellow structure that occupies the center of the painting. This yellow section acts as a defense against the heat of the orange streaks preparing to strike, invoking the defense mentioned in this painting’s title. Cultural Defense is a compelling piece, suggestive of movement and impending impact, though it uses simple colors and patterns to create this effect.



Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Accidential Love

Accidental Love
fairy tales don’t lie
the smile in your eyes hide
they way you turn says hello
your glance embraces me

shall we walk hand in hand
your laughter echoes through me
take notice
I love you.

not enough words to express...this
easier to suppress our brief encounter
more than just a moment
a lifetime of memories

sitting by the fireplace
writing a letter
painting your face
composing a song

if I find a way
I just wanna be
my thoughts can't recover
from the lost one

and I....
Nobody's supposed to touch here
my heart won't open, even for you
I love you!

Copyright ©2009 Claretta Webb

Blood Mountain - Art

Blood Mountain is an abstract piece painted in muted, natural tones. The mountain can be seen in the beige form that is a central focus of the piece. The blood is depicted in a rusty red shade that covers one side of the mountain’s image, and the blue of the sky is wrapped around the colorful mountain like a shroud. The forms in this painting are striking in their abstraction – it is as though the sky has been pulled around the mountain by some unseen hand, wrapping it snugly and protectively against some unknown threat.

The bloody mountain itself is a sinister image, calling to mind violence, injury, and death. The soil of the mountain is saturated in blood, making it the likely site of some battle or other act of violence. The sky in the painting represents nature as it attempts to ameliorate the pain of the mountain. The healing process after this violent act has begun, and nature reclaims the mountain, restoring peace.

Copyright © 2009 Claretta Taylor Webb

Blood Mountain - Poem

of what earth does it derive?
down what path does it flow?
happiness, fate and sorrow
gleaming through the sad face

does it follow a beat?
does its' cries feel hollow?
sure dreams are tarnished
suppression counts on its' failure

from whince it came
my voice follows
Does the shallow cry feel my sorrow?
does the blood run yellow?

Copyright © 2009 Claretta Taylor Webb

Carriers - Poem

your mysterious nature propels me to think
about what or whom is often ambiguous
thoughtful exposition often fails me
your particular magnetism cleverly follows

you're about as thoughtful as your predecessor
moving about hate as if it were water
There is time to continue a great path
find the right people to move us forward

challenge me to stop you
stop me
stop he
from hate.




Copyright © 2009 Claretta Taylor Webb

Carriers - Art

Carriers is a bright, colorful painting that depicts the nature of disease and infection. In this piece, the background is a vibrant red, which is significant to the painting’s meaning. Red is the color of blood, indicating that the disease makes its home in the bloodstream. Yet red is also a color associated with danger and warning, and the red background also warns of the deadly nature of the disease depicted in this powerful painting.

The gray figure embedded in the bright red background is the disease itself. The gray figure seems to be pinching off somehow, as though it was captured just before dividing into two separate beings. This division represents the rapid reproduction of bacteria and viruses that cause infections and diseases. This rapid reproduction is the cause of the spread of the disease throughout the body, and Carriers captures this dangerous quality of disease in an alarming and compelling painting.

Copyright © 2009 Claretta Taylor Webb