Dragon - Art

Dragon is a mysterious piece depicting the abstract form of a dragon, a mythical creature that has been an important part of human mythology since the dawn of mankind. The dragon is a significant symbol in many cultures. The dragon has positive connotations in many Asian cultures, while Europeans have long associated dragons with danger and evil. The dragon in this painting is shown in a dark, gray color, which gives it a threatening air. A glowing red eye adds to the sense of menace in this dragon’s evocative portrait.
Dragons have appeared in myths and stories again and again, causing one to wonder how this idea could have emerged in so many different cultures in so many different locations. In fact, ancient people discovered dinosaur fossils, and, assuming that these massive reptilian creatures had died only recently, developed the concept of a living, breathing dragon. And so the image of the dragon became a part of mankind’s imagination forever.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Collage of more than 800 works

This would make a nice quilt.

Earth Tomb - Art

Earth Tomb is an explosive piece that evokes an apocalyptic destruction of our planet by an all-consuming fire. In this painting, the planet is reduced to a cloud of gray smoke, portrayed as a gray region in the center of the painting, the borders marked by curving, thick black lines. Along the explosion’s edge, vibrant red “hot spots” appear like miniature explosions that continue to occur after the initial explosion that marked the transformation of the planet into a large cloud of smoke.
The destruction of the planet by nuclear bombs has been a concern for decades, since the first nuclear bomb was tested. The destructive power of an atomic bomb has captivated mankind, producing an equal measure of fear and awe at man’s power to destroy. The dangers of these weapons have been well documented, yet these dangerous bombs continue to proliferate from nation to nation. Earth Tomb examines the dangers that our planet faces, illustrating the potential consequences of nuclear proliferation.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Rebuilding - Art

In Rebuilding, a variety of shape and color elements contribute to an intricate look at the way that different entities can work together to rebuild in the face of a crisis or disaster. A number of diverse elements come into play in this piece. For example, both warm and cool colors are featured in his vibrant piece, from blue to red to yellow and everything in between. These colors work together to add vitality and life to this piece, revealing the way that diverse elements can work together as a group.
In addition, a number of different shapes are used to create the image in this painting. From gentle curves to sharp angles, these shapes fit together to create a visually compelling and complex image. The whole of the image in the painting is greater than the sum of its individual parts. These parts are not necessarily striking on their own, but the unique configuration presented in the painting creates an intriguing image, revealing that working as a group allows for greater success than working alone.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Ravaged Earth - Art

In Ravaged Earth, a beautiful pale green color accented by a contrasting shade of deep purple is featured prominently in the painting. The purple circle burrows quietly and steadily through the pale green mist of color, leaving a furrow in its path. The slow and steady progress of the purple circle is ravaging the landscape, despite its small size and seemingly placid journey across the painting. The colors of this piece are beautiful, and it gives a very calm impression, which is intriguing, considering the violent implications of the painting’s title.

This painting seems to be describing a different way that something can be ravaged. Damage can be done in many ways. It is not only by catastrophic disaster that destruction can occur, because damage can also be the result of a slow and steady wearing away. This is the way that the purple ball has affected its landscape. Through slow and steady progress across the painting, the purple ball has weathered the landscape of the painting, much in the same way that wind and water shape our own natural landscape by weathering.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Rebirth - Art

In Rebirth, a strange, unknown creature seems to morph into another form, something completely different than its original body. The tail of the creature seems to be splitting, perhaps into legs or tentacles for propulsion of the organism. The rebirth, or transition, seems to be ongoing, as if the viewer has caught the creature right in the moment of change, frozen in time in this amorphous, changing state. Halfway between its old identity and the new existence it is working to assume, the creature is a fascinating study in the nature of change.
Change is a common theme in all of the arts. Many paintings and poems have been created to illustrate the change from one form to another. Perhaps this emphasis on change is so popular because change is a part of all life. Organisms pass through different life stages, changing, often dramatically, with each one. Change happens frequently in the modern world, as culture changes rapidly because of new communications technology. Rebirth, and its accompanying changes, is an important topic that is treated in a very unique way in the painting Rebirth.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Development - Art

Development is a painting that is predominantly characterized by its colors. Four swatches of densely saturated color are set against a cool green background. Blue, orange, purple, and red shades are set against each other, their vibrancy standing out against the pale green of the background. Another interesting feature of this painting is the way that the colors bleed into their background, particularly the blue shade.
The painting’s title suggests that this painting may depict an aerial view of some manmade development. The color blocks that are the focus of this painting represent individually subdivided lots in the development. The ecologically destructive nature of these developments is shown in the bleeding of the colors in to the surrounding background. The cool green color of the background indicates that this segment of the painting represents the natural world, green being a color typically associated with nature. Nature is inevitably affected by mankind’s construction and expansion, a scenario skillfully depicted in Development.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Peacocked - Art

In Peacocked, a beautiful, exotic bird is captured in close-up, the painting focusing on the beautiful plumage of this elegant creature. The peacock’s tail is studied in great detail in this piece, though the artist has chosen a quite unusual color scheme for a peacock’s tail. Though a typical male peacock’s plumage consists largely of cool colors, such as green and blue, this peacock has a warm, rosy background. This unusual choice of color gives the peacock a new aspect, allowing the painting’s viewer to see the peacock in an entirely new light.
By changing one aspect of a familiar sight, an artist can force the viewer to pay more attention to surroundings. This peacock is strikingly different, and seeing this difference forces the viewer to think about what a typical peacock looks like, perhaps remembering more details than he or she might have thought possible. This slight change in the portrayal of the peacock’s tail gives Peacocked an exciting effect, making this a unique and provocative piece.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Phoenix - Art

A new take on an ancient myth, Phoenix depicts the famous bird emerging from the ashes after its death. The phoenix itself is not studied closely, but rather from afar, as if the painting’s viewer is standing off in the distance and watching the phoenix rise into the air. The phoenix’s path is noted by a long arc, a trail left behind by the blazing, quickly moving bird on its glorious rise. This triumphant rise ends in a burst of released energy, as represented by the emerging lines that emanate from the risen creature at the top of the journey’s arc.
However, it is uncertain what this phoenix really represents in this painting. The phoenix’s identity is open to interpretation, with potential meanings ranging from the birth of a star, a manmade explosion from a bomb, or even an airplane taking flight. The image of a soaring object is quite compelling, and many different forms of flight come to mind upon viewing this piece. Phoenix is a simple, yet effective study on the subject of flight from the far-off perspective of an interested observer.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Pre Flight - Art

Pre Flight is a vibrant piece that depicts the energy potential of a flock of birds preparing for flight. The blue figures spread across the painting represent birds, their wings spread as though preparing for takeoff. These birds are abstract in form, their wings being their predominant feature. The heads and bodies of the birds are indistinct, but the instruments of their flight are enlarged and quite prominent. In this way, the form of the birds highlights the theme of flight in this painting.
The birds are clearly on the ground preparing for flight, as opposed to mid-flight, because of the colorful background against which they sit. The background is a patchwork of vibrant colors, not a uniform color, as the sky would be. In this way, farms, plots of land, buildings, and parking lots are shown to be the location of the birds, though this background is not depicted realistically as one would see this on the ground, but rather as a series of blocks, the way the birds view the ground from the sky. The painting takes the viewer into the birds’ perspective, allowing a new understanding of the phenomenon of birds taking flight.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Guardian - Art

Guardian is an abstract, freeform piece in a monochromatic color scheme, and it provides a look at the nature of guardianship and protection. The lone figure in this painting stands solitary in an empty landscape. The solitary nature of this image suggests the lonely nature of the duties of guardianship. Often, those who are being protected are not appreciative. Though the guardian may be looking out for their bests interests, many times people resent this well-intended help, which can make the guardian himself unpopular and lonely.

The monochromatic color scheme of this painting also evokes this loneliness. The use of a single color invokes solitude, for no complementary or accompanying colors are used in this piece. Additionally, the darkness of this color scheme creates a depressive, melancholy mood. This sorrowful mood indicates the pain that can often accompany great responsibility such as guardianship.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Sounds Like - Art

In the painting Sounds Like, a single figure takes a prominent position at the center of the frame. The image is not a traditional musical note, though it vaguely resembles one with its long stem and solid black point on one end. In keeping with the title, the image merely looks like a musical note, though a musical connection is suggested by the title of the piece.

The piece is quite simple, and it uses black as the primary color. This also reflects the color scheme of musical composition – the black on white of printed sheet music is brought to mind. This piece is a playful take on music and an abstracted view of the often elegant and visually pleasing art of musical composition. In Sounds Like, a musical note is extracted from a scrap of sheet music and transplanted into a visual arts context. It is contorted and altered until finally it creates an interesting reaction in the viewer by forcing him or her to look at this musical symbol in a new way.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Lyrical Tabs - Art

Lyrical Tabs is a minimalist piece that plays on musical symbols in to create a whimsical, enjoyable piece. The abstracted image of a musical note that would appear in written sheet music is used in this painting. A monochromatic image in black on a spare white background, this painting emulates the color scheme and general appearance of printed sheet music.

The shape of these strange musical notes reflects the sound that each makes upon being played. The graceful curves of one symbol denote the elegant, suspended crescendo of sound that would be heard if this were sung or played on a music instrument. The sharp angles of the other note represent a sharp, staccato sound that ends quite abruptly.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Silk Line - Art

Silk Line is an unusual monochromatic piece in which a winding ribbon fills the frame of the painting. The piece is composed entirely of black on a stark white background. A meandering line, presumably a silken thread, dominates the painting, and a dark, small circle sits below the tangle of thread. The painting has an almost menacing aspect, as the tangle hovering over the little planet seems ready to engulf it in a matter of moments.

The silken line of the painting represents a chaotic force, an overwhelming tangle poised to engulf and possibly even incorporate the little black planet. This creates a sense of impending danger and fear, a fear of chaotic, unknown forces that may disrupt and destroy what they come into contact with. The painting’s monochromatic, severe color scheme adds to this sense of discomfort and fear. The black figures against the spare white background give an eerie mood to the painting’s overall impression.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Sunburst - Art

Sunburst is a lovely, simple piece with clean lines and an elegant complementary color scheme. The warm red accent tones bring out the cool, purple and bluish tones of the flower’s petals and stem. The resulting contrast is striking.

The flower itself appears to float up from the bottom of the painting. It appears weightless, as if it might continue to float up and out of the top of the piece. In this respect, the flower resembles the sunlight suggested by the title. Perhaps this is not a flower in the sense one typically thinks of, but rather a sunburst floating upward, an explosion of light that was released and must now continue on its path. This flower-shaped sunburst has a great deal of energy directing it along its path, and, as the painting’s strong sense of movement suggests, it will continue moving upward until this energy is spent.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Handle Me - Art

Handle Me is a dichromatic piece featuring two contrasting colors and abstract, freeform shapes. The flesh-tone background of this piece reflects a human presence. The title of this painting becomes a play on words, the flesh colored section of the painting becoming representational of a human hand. This dual meaning of the painting’s title adds a layer of meaning to this piece, remarking on the duality and partnership of hand and handle.
The other color that is featured in this painting is a cool, aqua tone. A color often associated with calm and water, this shade adds an interesting element to the painting. The hand now appears to be grasping something amorphous and elusive – water itself. Try as it might, the hand can never really wrap itself around water; it will always slip through its grasp. This provides an interesting commentary on the nature of control. Some elements can never be controlled, no matter how strong the grip, and they will always slip away.


©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Links - Art

In Links, the nature of connections is examined in a minimalist, freeform image. The links depicted in this painting are not drawn as neatly interlocking rows of rings, but rather as loose, approximate connections with gaps and absences, as well as points of stronger or weaker connection. This interesting configuration represents the fluid and ever-changing nature of human interpersonal connections. Relationships are born, metamorphose, and die in relative short periods of time.

This painting has an extremely minimalist feel, distinctive and simple black lines set against a stark, white background. Yet little is needed to give this painting profound meaning, and the painting’s economy only serves to highly the importance of these human relationships, which are crucial elements in an otherwise bare, cold, and unfriendly universe.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Outcome - Art

An abstract piece painted in muted colors, Outcome is an enigmatic painting with layered meaning and significance. The painting itself is an “outcome” of focused concentration and effort on the part of the artist. The effects of the painting on the viewer are the repercussions of that outcome. The painting’s lines are broad and strong, showing the power that the outcomes of different events have on the course of history and on human lives. An outcome is a very significant thing, something waited on, paid attention to, anticipated by people across the world.

The muted shades of this painting also reflect the way an outcome of any even behaves in the universe. The outcome continues to have impact even after the initial effects have transpired and passed away. Thus, the faded, muted colors of the painting show the way that the lingering effects of one of life’s outcomes can continue to play a part in the world at large. Memories, emotional impact, karmic results – these are all ways that an outcome can continue to influence the world.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Lost Dams - Art

Lost Dams is a depiction of the fate of manmade dams, engineering feats that stand as a testament to human potential, yet, like everything mankind creates, must ultimately crumble. The style of this painting is distinctly minimalist. This piece is composed of a single green tree on a spare, white background. A monochromatic color scheme contributes to the sense of simplicity in this painting.

Manmade structures must ultimately crumble. This painting asserts mankind’s relative insignificance in the context of the planet’s history. Ultimately, everything that mankind creates will return to nature. In this piece, a tree has grown in the place of mankind’s artificial creations, invoking the cyclical nature of life – the reclaiming of things into the natural order.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Meousa Sisters - Art

In Meousa Sisters, a trio of figures is the center of attention. The shape of these figures is like a slightly abstracted image of three blooming flowers. The three “sisters” of the painting are in full bloom, their petals spreading toward the sky in a beautiful display of muted color. The colors of this piece are not particularly vibrant, but the use of a dull periwinkle shade and lovely lavender give the painting a haunting feel. The muted colors give the flowers an ancient feel, as though they might have grown in a Victorian garden at the turn of the century, or even in a garden at Versailles before the French Revolution.

Meousa Sisters has a languid mood, and it creates a feeling of suspended time. These blooms seem to be frozen in time, a perfect representation of the beauty and elegance of bygone eras. The simple pleasures enjoyed by people living in simpler times have been lost in modern society. The simple beauty of a well-kept garden, the lushness of a trio of flowers in full bloom – these things are often overlooked by busy members of modern society. This refined and lovely piece greatly encourages the viewer to take a closer, more observant look at the objects of beauty in residing in his or her immediate surroundings.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Warmth - Art

In Warmth, an obscure figure huddles in the center of the painting. The figure has an indistinct form, but it is clearly huddled under some sort of cover amidst the darkness that overwhelms the rest of the piece. The shapeless figure appears to have its head bent against the dark wind that swirls around. Though the painting’s title is Warmth, the viewer can almost feel the ice-cold wind of the painting as it swirls about the little figure huddle beneath its covers, the wind’s frozen darkness leaving one with a frightening and chilling impression.

Yet the figure in the painting finds a source of warmth in this cold, desolate landscape. By huddling up, the figure traps its own warmth under its cover, using its own heat to maintain life in a cold, uninviting place. The figure’s ability to survive and find a source of warmth in this desolate place is inspiring, for by relying upon oneself, a person can sustain himself or herself in any situation.

This human ability to self-sustain has protected many men and women. The survival instinct is strong, and people find ways to protect themselves, both physically and emotionally, from damaging factors in their environment. Internal strength is the greatest source of warmth and sustenance, a strength that can sustain a person in unthinkably terrible conditions.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

New Growth - Art

In New Growth, the faint, shadowy images of two plants are set against a stark white background. The plants barely show up against the canvas, their pale color almost imperceptible. This faintness is significant, for it is with this lack of color saturation that the painting makes an important statement about the nature of newly created and growing things. By nature, anything that has just been created needs time to take root and to grow to a sustainable level of strength. The faint color of the plants reveals their newness. They have just been crated and are therefore less vigorous as they try to plant their roots more strongly in the earth to gain sustenance and strength.

The shadowy plants are not the only things that must take time before they are strong enough to stand alone. This characteristic can also be seen in the offspring of animals and humans, newly created forms of government, social programs – basically anything that has been recently created. All of these new developments need to be nurtured and stimulated until the newness has worn off, and the entity has the power to sustain itself with a full measure of strength.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Taking a Stand - Art

Taking a Stand is an abstract piece that features a number of elements. At the center of the painting is a faded gray column that has a stippled texture. Other, more colorful elements can be seen on either side of the column. On one side, set off by a curved black line, three colored circles appear – one each in beige, yellow, and teal. Filling the other side of the painting is a cluster of pinkish-red lines. These coral-colored lines also appear in a smaller segment above the colored circles.

The painting’s title implies that someone or something is taking a stand against an oppressive force. The most likely candidates are the colored circles, for they are the most individualized elements of the painting, appearing as distinct, independent objects. Yet one still wonders what they are standing up to. The faded gray column may be their last defense, a fortress that is failing against an oppressive force represented by the red lines. Red is a forceful color, the color of war, and it seems to have filled one side of the painting and is creeping into the side where the colored circles reside. It is this aggressive force that they must take a stand against, as their barrier appears to be letting this invading force into their safe haven. Taking a Stand is a complex piece with many conceptual elements to reconcile; yet it is an intriguing work that is worth the effort.

Homeland - Art

Homeland is a vibrant, abstract piece that uses highly saturated blocks of color to create a sense of nostalgia for things lost. Bright swatches of color in periwinkle, teal, green, and purple create a beautiful configuration, and it is clear that the homeland alluded to in the title is a beautiful place. The color segments themselves may represent cultural elements of the homeland, or possibly regions or neighborhoods within the home area. Yet the overall impression is an undeniably positive one, drawing on a sense of nostalgia for home.

The homeland’s striking beauty also suggests its status as lost. Humanity tends to remember its past in the most positive terms possible, forgetting minor blemishes as the years pass. This homeland is one that has been abandoned, one to which the native will never return. For this reason, the negative aspects are forgotten, and only nostalgia for a time gone by remains. Homeland becomes a beautiful image of the nature of memory and its propensity to selectively remember and forget.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Sweeping - Art

Sweeping is an intriguing piece, and it is one that deserves close and careful consideration. This piece is dichromatic, its color scheme consisting of two colors – black and a rich, royal blue shade. The abstract black figure featured in the painting represents a person sweeping dirt and dust from the floor. With each stroke of the broom, the dirt flies into the air, an action represented by the wispy, insubstantial streaks of black that seem to float up into the air. The painting gives the impression of this ordinary task in a way that is visually exciting and suggestive of vigorous movement.

Though it is a highly recognizable and pleasing depiction of a man or woman sweeping up dust, Sweeping has an additional layer of meaning that is important to consider. Because the rest of the painting is black, the royal blue streak in the painting is particularly significant. This blue shade, almost purple, represents nobility and wealth. Blue has long been associated with wealth and power. This blue swath represents the “blueblood” element of society, and it is a crucial feature of the painting’s underlying meaning. The figure in the painting is not sweeping his or her home, but rather the figure is an employee of a wealthy family, working to clean their lavish home. Considering this interpretation, Sweeping is a meaningful and thought-provoking piece that gives a closer look into human socioeconomic relations.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Cluster b

Live like you were dying.

Imagined Congestion - Art

This abstract piece has multiples layers, and the colors are strong and compliment each other. This piece has an almost cluttered appearance upon first viewing. The many colors, shapes, and patterns superimposed on top of one another is at once disorienting and puzzling. Yet this untitled piece has much to offer upon closer inspection. It is intriguing to see how the patterns were layered on top of each other, which can be discerned by looking closely. A jumble of green and brown lines is entangled, and straight, lavender-colored lines strike through the jungle of green and brown, imposing order onto the piece.

The choice of green and brown for the unruly tangle of lines is clear – green and brown represent nature and its often-unmanageable unpredictability. The lavender color represents man’s influence. Often considered to be an artificial color, purple is rarely found in nature. The straight and logical lines of man impose an artificial order onto the unruly tangles of nature. Yet the imposed order is indeed artificial; viewers of the painting can see that the green and brown lines overwhelm the painting, showing man’s efforts at imposing straight, logical order are quite fruitless.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

Nas Music - Art

Nas Music is a simple piece with a monochromatic color scheme and uncomplicated lines and shapes. This piece features a couple of shapes, including a very simple circle and square that work together to represent the music alluded to in the title. The type of music reflected in this piece is also alluded to in the title of the painting. “Nas” has a very colloquial feel, as though the music under consideration in this piece is actually some form of local, traditional music. Captured in this painting is the simple, unpremeditated music that rises spontaneously in the context of a celebration or ritual in some traditional culture.

Though music is often thought of as colorful and vibrant, the artist has chosen to depict music in this painting with simple lines and a charcoal-shaded, monochromatic color scheme. Yet this dark color scheme does not indicate that the music of this painting is dull or depressing. This simple color scheme simply reflects the simplicity and naturally uncomplicated nature of certain types of music. The painting is not hard to take in at once, its plain lines and single color bringing to mind the simple melody of a traditional folk song.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved

My Universe - Art

My Universe is a monochromatic, abstract piece with graceful lines that reflect a natural beauty found in the structure of the universe’s very existence. In this painting, the universe is depicted by elegant arcs and graceful curves that seem to waft slowly across the painting. This movement seems to be outward, toward the painting’s edges, as if the shape of the universe shown is constantly expanding. This expansion is also a feature of the actual nature of the universe. Since the Big Bang, the universe has been expanding at a constant rate, a scientific reality explored in this piece.
Yet the painting does not treat the subject with a cold, scientific perspective. The universe is not drawn in an exact, clinical way, but rather as an expansion of expanding matter and energy, a graceful cloud that wafts across time and space, its slow movement imperceptible to the sentient beings living within this universe. This painting is evocative and beautiful, and the universe that it its subject is beautiful and emotionally affecting, its elegant lines bringing to mind the natural beauty and wonder of the universe and its vastness. My Universe manages to capture the infinite reality of the universe in a few simple, refined lines.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved