Inside Silence X

powdered pigment and oil pastel on linen canvas.
During my art residency in Cape Cod in 2023 I lived alone in Margo-Gelb dune shack, on the edge of land. I witnessed the sunrise over the ocean on my right and the sun disappearing back into the ocean on my left. My day began with the night, with darkness, and the continuous sounds of rhythmic chirping and buzzing, occasionally disrupted by the distant howl of a coyote or the call of a seal. Then, perhaps around 3:30 am, everything would suddenly come to a halt. A moment later, a few final solitary chirps and buzzes before complete silence claimed the land. Then, a long pause followed. A suspension of sound. All movement seemed to hang in mid-air, as if waiting, anticipating. I could hear my own breath. It wasn't until about an hour later that it became evident: this silence was a prelude to color. A faint streak, a glimmer of light, would gradually evolve into a lyrical drama above and below, illuminating the day.