Two- tone Rising Moon 30 X 40"

Here on the Atlantic Coast , We generally get the sun first but also the moon. The sun is stunning as it rises and as it sets. The moon, I believe is most magical as it rises, especially over the ocean, unobstructed by anything. As the moon rises , especially in the full moon phase, it must reflect twice though the atmosphere at times. Depending on where the sun is as the moon is rising, sometimes the sun's rays must cut through the atmosphere to reach the moon and also the moon's reflected light comes back through the opposite direction, once again through the atmosphere. This makes the moon glow especially remarkable and unique.

 Everyone uses the phrase, "Once in a Blue Moon" when they refer to an infrequent occurrence, but few know what a "Blue Moon" actually is. The familiar answer is two moon phases in the same calendar month. Of course this would be entirely predictable since moon cycles, full moon to full moon, are 28 days (nights) apart and calendar months are 28-31 days/ nights long. And also, these moons aren't blue in color. Therefore, that definition is neither rare nor blue. The real "blue moon" is not full, but just a sliver, and actually is blue. The sliver lets one know where the moon is without making the moon so bright;  normally, on very clear nights the sun's reflects so brightly so as to outshine the reflection of light off of the earth's oceans and the blue reflection, which is always there can be seen reflecting back to us on planet Earth. The whole moon can very slightly be visualized during a blue moon, both the dimly lit blue reflection coming from reflection off the earth's oceans, and the very sharp wisp of reflection directly from the sun itself. Early waxing crescents and  late waning crescents can do this, but conditions must be "just right".

 Back to this painting. As the moon rises up the lower pole has more atmosphere to deal with so may glow a slightly different color( as it did this time). Thi is  really  a supernatural sight. The earth tones around you take on strange hues. Trees can be silhouetted to make things "spookier" if there is such a word. Pines and palmettos let the light through their many branches rather than blocking the reflected rays that a dense shrub or full leafed tree might. Therefore the former trees are best to enhance this scene, and we in the lowcountry have plenty of them.

 This large (30 X 40) acrylic weighs about 5 pounds.