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| Sunset OBX - 5 x 5", oil on board |
On what is essentially a thin ribbon of sand, stands a thread of high-wire communication lines. They line the western edge of Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I've always thought of this place as the edge of the world. It tends to feel that way when all you see in either direction is water and sky. Out here, there is a steady undertow of vulnerability and constant change. Out here, sustaining life is balancing act that requires grit and a bit of a carpe diem mindset. Looking west, seeing the sun lower to the horizon through these powerlines is a reminder of that. It all feels feeting.
This was a panel I pulled out of an old stack left over from one of our visits to Hatteras. I had sketched the powerlines over an orange ground. I remember my husband commenting something along the lines of 'not many people want to look at a painting of utility lines'. Meh, okay - I lost steam and put aside. Rediscovering it, I wondered 'How to do you make an everyday image beautiful?'. I had fun trying.
