Through the Looking Glass: Live from the Crab Nebula Print

After the first images from the James Webb telescope were released, I was possessed to paint the wonders it had captured. The contrast of the oranges in the nebula and the bright blue of space pull me to the rim of the Crab Nebula, a white line that marks the border of the star birthplace. This "horizon" resembles a liquid spilled serendipitously on a deep cerulean fabric and fills me with a sense of wonder, like looking over the edge of a cliff to parts I cannot quite reach. I enjoyed layering the colors to capture the nebula, working with negative spaces of the deep blues to not overshadow the glow of the underpainting. I used many different colors muddied with water to give the haze of the nebula clouds. Stars were added by wooden toothpick and not scattered with a toothbrush. I also used a toothpick at various points to carve or dab paint onto the canvas. I hope a viewer can feel the fresh breath of wonder when admiring this piece and bring themselves a little closer to a sacred space far from here.