Blue Hour Afterglow

2024
12″ x 12″ (felt)
16” x 16” x 0.75” (felt on canvas)
Status: Sivertson Gallery, Grand Marais, MN

Wool needle felting measuring 12″ x 12″ felted onto a 16” x 16” x 0.75” painted cotton canvas frame for a clean, seamless look. Many fine blended layers of varying shades of blue, pink, purple, yellow, white, and gray went into creating the sky and clouds and their reflection on the water.

The photo inspiration behind this piece, titled ‘Blue Hour Afterglow’, was captured a half-hour after the actual sunset on November 1, 2022, from the public boat landing of Sea Gull Lake near the end of the Gunflint Trail on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The titled ‘Blue Hour…’ refers to the period of time just before sunrise or just after sunset when the sun casts a diffuse light from below the horizon and the sky takes on a vivid blue tone.

The backside of the piece offers an interesting view of the colored fibers as they were pushed through the canvas and I like to leave the canvas back exposed for this reason. It also allows the wool fibers to breathe and minimizes any moisture buildup.

Wire hanging hardware is attached. An informational card and a copy of the original reference photo will be tucked into the back of the piece in a cellophane sleeve.