Denise Presnell

Eclipsed Groundlessness

This image was inspired by the Solar Eclipse on September 2nd. I was in Boise, ID where we had a 94% viewing of the eclipse. The sidewalks and beaches near the Boise River turned into an array of crescent covered fields. It literally felt like our feet would sink beneath the surface of the ground. It was disorienting and thrilling at the same time. The perspective of the image is not distorted – there was no need to make it any stranger than it already was. The method I used in creating this piece is one I also use when painting images based on water. Even though the piece is two-dimensional, there is a slight depth due to the layering of painted Plexiglas over a drawing on linen matboard. It’s not immediately noticed until one gets up close to the piece. At that point, the added layer beneath the surface is visible and the viewer is invited to go beneath the initial surface into a pool of abstract markings below.Vivid color, there are 2 layers. Open areas on the plexiglas reveal the oil pastel beneath.