Door #10...Silence
‘Is there anybody there?’ said the Traveller,
Knocking on the moonlit door;
And his horse in the silence champed the grasses
Of the forest’s ferny floor:
And a bird flew up out of the turret,
Above the Traveller’s head
And he smote upon the door again a second time;
‘Is there anybody there?’ he said.
But no one descended to the Traveller;
No head from the leaf-fringed sill
Leaned over and looked into his grey eyes,
Where he stood perplexed and still.
But only a host of phantom listeners
That dwelt in the lone house then
Stood listening in the quiet of the moonlight
To that voice from the world of men:
Stood thronging the faint moonbeams on the dark stair,
That goes down to the empty hall,
Hearkening in an air stirred and shaken
By the lonely Traveller’s call.
And he felt in his heart their strangeness,
Their stillness answering his cry,
While his horse moved, cropping the dark turf,
‘Neath the starred and leafy sky;
For he suddenly smote on the door, even
Louder, and lifted his head:-
‘Tell them I came, and no one answered,
That I kept my word,’ he said.
Never the least stir made the listeners,
Though every word he spake
Fell echoing through the shadowiness of the still house
From the one man left awake:
Ay, they heard his foot upon the stirrup,
And the sound of iron on stone,
And how the silence surged softly backward,
When the plunging hoofs were gone....Walter De La Mare
The above poem is another of my favourites…I read it over and over again, picturing the dark night, the traveller knocking at the old door in the moonlight, and no answer but the echoes of spectral ghosts on the stairway inside…
There have been many different interpretations of this poem, (I have copied one below), but I think that if we chose a literal interpretation, it seems like it’s the middle of war and the traveller is bringing a message, but he is too late…they have all gone or are dead…
I chose to paint it as a semi abstract, painting a vignette of the door panels with three large iron rivets, (a triangle) to give a sense of massiveness, of a fortress or citadel, with just the glow of the moonlight in the centre, all the rest fading away into blurred ochres and siennas…to avoid being literal, I did not include a knocker…he would have used a staff or stick anyway...
Watercolour and Acrylic on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper..
Below is one of the theories about the poem…
The theme of the poem is the place of man in a universe which is far greater than he, and which he can neither connect with nor understand. It focuses on man’s state of isolation and disharmony with the natural world. Nature, as represented by the horse placidly munching on the grass and the bird frightened by the man’s disturbing clamor, is normally serene – it is only man who is anxious because of his separateness. The traveler tries to overcome his aloneness and establish meaning by fruitless seeking (knocking) and responsible living (keeping promises), but the natural world remains unyielding in keeping its distance, and the traveler continues on alone. Enotes..
Door #10...Silence belongs to the following groups:
Complex Simplicity of Art, ! 100% !, "Exceptional Ekphrasis", Abstract Realism, Acrylic Painting, All Around the Styles, Art Inspired by Dreams, AW Welcome Center, Bits and Pieces , Contemporary Professional Painters and Sculptors, Decorative and Traditional Art, EF Welcome Center, Everyday Life, Feminine Intent (LIMIT TWO IMAGES PER DAY), Fine Arts, First Things, Impressionist Art, in-between, JPG Cast-Offs, Just Brown, Latin-Caribbean Art, Layered with Texture, Light In The Darkness, Live, Love, Dream: May you have a Blessed Christmas Season , Mature Woman, Mixed Media, Outsiders, Prize Challenges!!, Safe Haven, THE FRINGE, The Patchwork , The Scavenger Hunt, THE SISTERHOOD, The true beauty, Tropical Art and Unconventional Artistry - 3 per day Available for sale asGreeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints, Framed Prints and Posters
Janis Zroback
GEORGE SANDERSON
Superb, Janis!!!
the textures are fantastic !
Janis Zroback replied
Thank you so much George…I love your enthusiasm about the piece…...
webbie
Love the texture and tones Sis Janis…huggggggz
Janis Zroback replied
Thank you so much Thelma…nice to see you.. :))
blamo
beautiful gold look
Janis Zroback replied
Thanks so much Tone…must be the moonlight… :))
John Fish
quite a beautiful painting. I love the way it blends from the wood grain into the texture in back that is more abstract. and what fantastic brilliant colors.
Janis Zroback replied
I’m glad you like it John…they are my favourite pigments, in Burn’t sienna, umber, and sepia, with neutral tint over white….
Erika .
WOW, this is amazing! You give such life and texture to your watercolors! This is truly incredible!
Janis Zroback replied
Thank you so much Erika…It’s got acrylic on the first layers, so it’s not as transparent as pure watercolour and that gives it a more solid appearance….I use various techniques to give depth and texture to the paintings and the first layers here were applied with a sponge…I’m really happy you like it…
Linda Callaghan
another winner Janis….love the interpretation of this painting the writing takes the viewer on the same journey as the rider…and I could just imagine him standing there knocking on the door with his staff …love the texture and colours.
Janis Zroback replied
I intended this painting to be in blues, because it is nightime in the poem, and it started out that way, but I later switched over to using umbers which I like better…as you can see the triangle is there again, in the large rivets which would normally be set in squares…a lot of sponge work went into this one…five different sizes and types from silk to cellulose…then work with the brushes in watercolour on top of the acrylic base…thanks so much Linda…I’m glad you like it..
BTW…I have a painting group meeting this weekend to learn how to paint landscapes using felted wool…it should be interesting…and for once I won’t be teaching the class, which will be restful….
Janis Zroback
catherine walker
Excellent janis..a real beauty and so well done.
I just love this look and the paint gives depth and a real textured look..wonderful!
Janis Zroback replied
Thank you so much Catherine…I’m so happy you like it… :))
bev langby
wow Janis this is so powerful and the story well just wow….....
Janis Zroback replied
The story is incredible…I have known it since I was a school girl in the dar ages…ha…and still find it very moving…I’m glad you like it..thanks so much Bev..
kjgordon
no stoppin you wahini.such realism…...I think that is what it is called.
.if not I just made it up…....you continue to amaze me with your talent
Janis Zroback replied
This morning I feel that this series is finished at least for a while, but part of me is saying that there is a lot more to explore here and that I should continue on right now…I am meeting a well known art critic for lunch tomorrow and I will get her very valuable opinion on the subject…maybe that will give me some clarity…thanks so much KJ.
Jim Phillips
I love the depth and texture in this one Janis and your commentary is truly amazing.
Janis Zroback replied
It’s a powerful story and I hope I did justice to it…there is always that niggling doubt as to whether I have conveyed what I felt about the story…anyway here it is and I thank you for finding the commentary amazing…
Lorna Gerard
These are very beautiful powerful pieces Janis, lovley
Janis Zroback replied
I’m happy you think so Lorna…thank you so much.. :))
Linda Callaghan
that will be an interesting class Janis, will you do be doing a landscape using felt after?....can imagine it will be a nice change for you not having to teach. Yes I did read your reply to Erica regarding the sponge on your painting, great effect and adds texture. Enjoy your classI am sure you will be sitting back and soaking it all up like a sponge…(pardon the pun) :-D
Janis Zroback replied
The landscape will be made out of layers of felted wool, so it will be a different experience for me…at this point I don’t see myself doing any after the class is over, but you never know…
I hope you will add a painting to the fun challenge…we need more for sure…there are only three so far, and I know you will do something beautiful…there are only a few days left…
Fee Dickson
Lovely textures and colours, Janis.
Janis Zroback replied
Thank you so much Fee…I’m glad you like the painting… :))
Janis Zroback
Linda Callaghan
oh I am sorry Janis I must have missed the fun challenge…. I would have done one yesterday (day off Fridays) .....I have free time Monday….- when does challenge close ….? is this for the watercolours sorry hubby calling and I cant concentrate…..wil check it out later on…thanks !
Janis Zroback replied
It is the watercolour group and is still open, closing in six days…there are only three entries so far…I said only sponges, but if you need to use a little brush work that’s fine…thanks Linda…
Linda Callaghan
ok will see what I can come up with!
Linda Callaghan
Hi Janis just wondering what the challenge is as I went back looking in the Challenges and could not see it? is it a sponging abstract? thanks…
Janis Zroback replied
It is called the fun challenge and my image of the sponged extract is the picture on it…
Alison Pearce
Stunning work!!
Janis Zroback replied
Thank you so much Alison.. :)) I would like you to enter the fun challenge in the watercolour group…only a few days left…
Linda Callaghan
Hi Janis sorry to be a nusiance but I have gone back 13 pages in the challenges section and it will not let me go further? I could not see a Fun Challenge in the Watercolour group? has it been posted on the challenge page if so I have looked twice?? cant find it..can you send me a link please otherwise will have another look tomorrow?
Janis Zroback replied
t is the current challenge at the top of the challenge page in the watercolour group…open for entries right now…here is a link to the page…
FUN CHALLENGE
Janis Zroback replied
Here is the direct link to the challenge..
CHALLENGE
Karin Taylor
ooo the richness is unsurpassed by anything i’ve seen before Janis,
I’m amazed at this, it’s just glowing!
Janis Zroback replied
Yellows in the first layers give the glow…I tend to use a lot of transparent colour…thank you so much Karin…I’m so glad you like it…
Lucindawind
I love the colour tone on this … fantastic !
Janis Zroback replied
I’m so happy you do…thank you so much Lucinda.. :))
Holly Werner
Love this Janis. Great color and texture.
Janis Zroback replied
Thank you so much Holly… :))