Woolgathering

Crossing, Sean W. Byrne, Copyright 2009, All Rights Reserved

This railroad crossing is located near Wendall, just east of Raleigh. It caught my eye for a number of reasons; for one thing, I liked its timeless quality—it could be 1939… or 1979… or 2009. (I furthered this feeling in the painting by participating in some artistic vandalism by removing a couple of mailboxes… followed by some artistic good citizenry by picking up some trash on the side of the road). I also liked the fact that there was no railroad crossing signals or gate. I saw a narrative there… about caution… danger. And finally, I liked the way the road sloped uphill just past the tracks. It fit right in with the narrative: just beyond the danger there is an uphill climb.

Crossing is part of the Meditation series and is 32″w x 16″h, mixed media on hardboard tiles.

The galleries on my website are organized by series name or by general “catch-all” categories such as Dittybops & One-Offs. Here is some background info on the different series:

Meditation Series: my artist statement about this series may be read here.

Song Series: These paintings grew out of two conversations with two different friends. The first was with a friend about his fear of death (which seemed out of character for him). The second conversation happened a long time ago, with a friend who had a fear of moving. He, like me, was a military brat and had relocated many times in his life but had never gotten over his fear of having to move someplace new.

The Song series is about journeys in life… the word “song” implying spirituality and/or joy in living. The fish symbolize souls (both fearful and unfearful)… and the various plant life, waterfalls, and rocky surfaces represent both the journey and the destination. Continue reading →

From Dictionary.com:

wool⋅gath⋅er⋅ing
/ˈwʊlˌgæðərɪŋ/ [wool-gath-er-ing]

1. indulgence in idle fancies and in daydreaming; absentmindedness: His woolgathering was a handicap in school.
2. gathering of the tufts of wool shed by sheep and caught on bushes.

Origin: 1545–55 | Dictionary.com Unabridged | Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.