Golden Sun
"Golden Sun" is just off the easel, depicting a quiet moment when the sun slips down through the trees, and work is done for the day. As a child my family went often to San Marcos on weekends to stay in the old caretaker's cabin by the river on Aunt Doris' farm. My dad was a doctor, and we'd leave Houston after he'd finished seeing his last patient. After passing through the city limits, we'd come to the gentle rolling hills of Brookshire. He would relax, the sun would hover over the tree tops, and then descend rapidly covering the landscape in "blue dark." With the classical music my father loved so dearly playing on the radio, I would watch the hills flowing by, punctuated lacy trees and pastures. I hope that my landscapes will connect you to your own memories of peaceful times.
A friend asked why my paintings have such a feeling of the idyllic. One of the reasons why is that I use the proportion of the Golden Mean in planning compositions. The Golden Mean is a mathematical relationship, 1 to 1.618. It was discovered by Pythagoras, and was used by the architects of the Parthenon, Leonardo DaVinci, landscape painter George Inness, and many others. Our credit cards have that proportion, and even many of the bones in the human body are formed in the Golden Mean. The proportion is found through out all of nature.
In "Golden Sun," the ratio of the height to the width of the canvas is 1 to 1.618, and the position of the sun in the painting is both horizontally and vertically on the the Golden Mean. Thus, the composition feels right to the viewer. While I often measure with a ruler, I also have calipers designed to locate The Golden Mean. Frequently I will place the horizon line or the tops of the trees on The Golden Mean in a painting as well.
If you are curious about The Golden Mean, you might like to watch a short video.
On another note, my painting of angels, "Be Not Afraid" will be at the Dallas Museum of Biblical Art for the next couple of years. It is not on display yet, but will be soon. The museum has a fine collection of Christian and Jewish art, including works from the Renaissance and Medieval periods and all the way to the present. You can read about the project here.
I greatly appreciate your allowing me to share my art and my thoughts with you, and hope you will share yours with me.
-Mallory