Apollospire
This painting began during the course of Apollo 9---with my mileage nearly as much as the Apollo's---dashing back and forth from the easel to the TV set to keep tabs on the flight and try to let it influence me. As is usual when I make up my mind to paint something specifically, I had a terrible time! . . . I'd think I was getting something and try to close in on it and immediately tighten up. I had to go through another period of hell punctuated with slashing strokes of gesso, give up and begin another abstract.
Once I relaxed and worked another week in the abstract, Apollospire soon appeared . ! . . the swoop and the dove are actually slashes of heavy gesso used in the destruction of my first attempt.
When I decided on a name, I wondered how people would pronounce it--would it be mispronounced to rhyme with spear? . . . . for the big difference between all the missles and the Apollo IS the difference between a spear and a spire---the same shape---but one pointed at one's fellowman, the other toward God . ! . !!
My writeup, hung with the painting, is as follows:
What did you feel watching the flights of Apollo 8 and 9? . . .
A proud burst of patriotism . .
A sense of accomplishment . .
The joy of success . .
Of course! . . . but what MORE? . . .
An exhilerating enthusiasm . .
A feeling of hope for the world . .
A pride in the TRUE worth of Man . .
A spiritual uplift? . . . .
Why? . .
Because here, at least, ---(and at LAST!)---
Man has used that God-given quality---his Free-Will---
To devote his entire being: heart, mind and Soul
And to consecrate all his noblest traits---
(usually brought out strongest during war or tragedy)---
self-sacrifice
dedication
teamwork
heroism
Guts!
To an awe-inspiring PEACEFUL venture! . . .
And, in a dramatic moment of demonstrating
The unbelievable capacities of Man,
To proudly acknowledge
"And in the beginning, God" . ! . ! .
. . . . . . .
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How does this painting portray the inspiration of the Apollo? . . .
To view a small town from a distance, one sees
The Church spire about all else. .
To view Apollo from a distance, one sees
the most stately spire of all
Towering as magnificent testimony
Of the faith of man in Man and in God ! !
And as it rises slowly and majestically from the pad toward Infinity,
There is a deep spiritual moving in the viewer.
And abstract Apollospire and gantry stand on the right in the painting
Bathed in warm oranges and sparkling whites . . .
Like the stained-glass effect of the gantry
Silhouetted against the rising sun . .
The bright area in the upper right expresses The Infinite.
To the right of the Apollo is a bird-form emerging from the darkness---
Yet with a dark shadow of himself to slip back into . . .
'Though brought a bit into light by the Apollo,
The peace dove has yet a long ways to go---
And could easily slip back into the blackness ! ! !
On the left is an abstract feeling of buildings representing the world of Man.
The swoop of orange above: the feelings of elation felt by the whole world!
. . . Like throwing a giant streamer into the skies at a very BIG ballgame! !
We MADE it ! ! ! Splashdown ! ! !
And this joy illumines at least one small segment
Of the yet dim arch of light connecting the world with THE Light ! . .
And in THIS beginning
Will MAN see the light and know that it is good,
And separate the light from the darkness ? . ! .
Footsteps on the Moon
In addition to sharing the worldwide joy and thrill of watching the first steps on th emoon, I was struck by the way their footprints reminded me of some of my collages using corrugated cardboard; so, I was off again---not trying to put anything down except the feeling of those footsteps, the crew and the world. At the time I worked up the accompanying poem:
The whole world watched and waited
As he slowly inched his way
To take that first momentous step
On a moon so far away.
His first words were impressive,
His "leap for all mankind,"
But then a joy came flooding through
The likes you rarely find.
For years of work--a promise kept,
And moments tense and long
Were ended momentarily
In happy feet and song.
As corrugated prints were left
In dust so strange and new,
Relief from tension swept the world
Who watched the dancing crew!
Space Probe
This painting was an expression of Verna's inner space probe.
The Fourth Cross
This painting was a response to the fire in Apollo 1.
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