Full moons and eclipses
Over the centuries our ancestors gave specific names to each full moon and not only were they delightful names they also show how closely they were in touch with nature and the changing seasons.
Unfortunately in this day and age most people will barely notice the fact that it is a full moon let alone consider what it is called or why. I think that’s such a shame because we miss that connection with the changing of the seasons as we go through the year.
That is one reason why I have started to create a collection of paintings depicting each of the full moons with their special names. The other reasons are that the names are often cute and intriguing; and they are a reminder of the appearances of different elements of the natural world around us and of the changing colours through the year. All in all, they really inspire me to bring them to life to tell some aspect of the story behind each month’s full moon name.
August's solar eclipse was both enthralling and inspiring. As the moon started to eat up the brightest of our stars I was planning how I could capture the incredible phenomena that brought crowds of people together in complete unity.
I worked through preliminary sketches to decide what to include and leave out as well as what medium to use, until I arrived at this final artwork: "Crowds gather in unison to watch the eclipse of the sun."
It was a fascinating journey, so I decided to turn it into one of my Picture Perfect blogs as well as the finished artwork.
August 2026 was particularly inspiring: not only did we get the solar eclipse on the 12th, but 15 days later we had the Sturgeon full moon complete with a partial lunar eclipse.
Having already completed an artwork of the solar eclipse I was inspired to create one featuring the lunar version. This one, of course, also had to represent it being the Sturgeon full moon and as it wasn't a total eclipse it threw up different challenges to those of the solar one.
I realised that some of those challenges made good teaching tips for artists, so the back story to “Lunar eclipse in Sturgeon Moon, August 2026” also became a Picture Perfect blog post
"Snow Moon Over the Lake".
This represents February's full moon marking the final phase of the cold winter months. I chose a colour palette of blues, greys and bitter chocolate brown to create the chilly feeling of the month where I am willing the first signs of spring to appear. The bright, almost white, moon that floodlights this wintry scene really does live up to its name of the "snow moon". SOLD
"Catkins Blossom Under Spring's Worm Moon"
This is March's full moon which can go under the wonderful name of the Worm Moon!
The Worm Moon marks the start of the ground warming up and the earthworms emerging heralding the new growth in springtime. The tree catkins are in full bloom at this point and as I watched them dancing in the breeze they reminded me of wiggly worms so they were a perfect fit. SOLD
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Contacts
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