Purple shadows prove
Something solid took up space
Made art with the sun
I’ve painted many peacocks– always looking back at a long train, not open, but dragging behind them as though evidence of grand adventures once experienced, once travelled. I always use the same reference photo, one I don’t remember how I came upon.
Today, in this 14×14, I tried a new peacock pose. Upright, vertical tail rather than horizontal. More neck and chest, but still not so threatened that he needs to unfold those glorious feathers. For now, at least.
I love the restrained peacock. The one who isn’t “peacocking.” The one who doesn’t have to. I also love shadows, and I swear I can find purple even in the dullest and greyest ones around. Do me this favor, just today– notice a shadow, perhaps your own. Look at it until you see a color, a real bonafide color, like orange or green. Our shadows are more beautiful than we realize. And if they are, how could we not be?