"Penumbra" by Randall Stoltzfus, 2009, oil and palladium leaf on canvas, 60"x96"
The painting now known as “Penumbra” was first exhibited in 2004 with the title “Will o’ Wisp.” It is one of a series of paintings inspired by visual phenomena experienced while walking in the forest at night. The optical range of the painting was extended in 2009 by a reworking that included significant amounts of Palladium leaf and a vibrant iridescent silver oil paint. As with an antique Japanese screen, the resulting surface sings especially at lower lighting levels, where the presence of the leaf becomes prominent.
Here are two related images. The first is the earlier exhibited state of “Penumbra,” the second is a a lovely Japanese screen in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum here in New York which was part of the inspiration for the subsequent reworking:
Previous state of "Penumbra," exhibited with the title "Will o' Wisp"
Autumn Grasses in Moonlight, Meiji period Japanese screen
2 Comments
Hi Randy,
It was really great to look through all your work and throughout the website in general as what you have been doing solo and in conjunction with others. Thank you for presenting such a rich site of your work.
All the best,
Mary
Thank you for the comment, Mary. It is nice to hear that from a fellow artist. I like looking at your website, too!