“Green leaves on a dead tree is our epitaph — green leaves, dear reader, on a dead tree.” ~ Cyril Connolly
I remember reading a quote that went something like, “Below the trees, under the leaves, they feed.” This dark quote actually inspired the above acrylic painting. I scoured the internet to find the quote to no avail. I guess these things happen.
In the painting, I was trying to show a bunch of bugs feeding on each other under the leaves of a tree and a giant bug who was going to eat them all. Alternatively, I sometimes view the big bug as a mother bug with the smaller bugs being her frenzied offspring.
The tree whose leaves are illuminated by the surrealistic glow of the moon is also an integral component of the painting. I am reminded of how a tree is welcoming to all creatures big and small. It offers its shelter indiscriminately to everything from chirping birds to the dark and creepy crawly things.
Viewing art is an interactive experience and while I am privy to my own intentions as the artist, I nonetheless relish the occasion when I can see my own art from another perspective. I have mentioned the two ways I sometimes view my own painting, but I enjoy hearing your perspective too, so drop a comment if you are so inclined.
I leave you with the Ethiopian Proverb, “Evil enters like a needle and spreads like an oak tree.”