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This past November I was driving home from my studio one evening and noticed the new moon in the western sky above Storm King Mountain. It was a clear, cloudless night. I told myself to hold the image in my mind and when I arrived home, I did a quick sketch. This position of the moon directly over the mountain was striking. I drove back on another day, parked, and made another quick sketch, drawing the form of the mountain. Then I waited for the next new moon to observe the way the light emanated.  Then I began a more formal drawing, to which I added marks and value in an intuitive manner every so often, building the image. This was in February.

I noticed that the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, NY, was about to open a new exhibit, "The Color of the Moon." On Saturday February 9th there was a curator's tour and I knew I had to attend. Laura Vookles, chair of the curatorial department gave a fascinating glimpse into what inspired the show, and detailed information regarding the artworks. The works range from Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School, to the 1960's with Jamie Wyeth and Norman Rockwell. Some of the paintings emphasized the connection between Science and Art. The artworks were selected from private collections and some from other museums. One that really caught my attention was Yellow Moon by Edward Steichen, who is better known for his photography. If you are in the vicinity of Yonkers, the exhibit will be on view through May 12th.