Island of Sky

a note from the artist

Bonsai Rock rests quietly and contemplatively in a purple, pink and blue waterscape of stars and light.

One of the rarest and most spectacular astronomical events is a beautiful moonset. The stars almost literally have to align to see a perfect moonset such as this. I captured Island of Sky over three hours at Lake Tahoe’s Bonsai Rock. On a cool and absolutely clear June evening, I first captured the famous rock lit by moonlight, then captured the colors of a half-moon setting beyond the horizon. Half-moons are perfect for these twilight event; the light it casts is subtle and silky and willing to share the sky with the stars.

I have a particular fascination with the moon. It inspires the writer in me, the imagineer, the crafter. The plethora of myths and lore about the moon have inspired me to adopt the moon as a reccurring character in the stories that I am writing. He is a solemn being of incredible power who pairs with the Sun to create life on earth. He is a reflected infinity; infinite in himself but a smaller light than the Sun. In my books his name is Mūphelamere. I know that bringing up the moon in this context is a bit of a tease however, it would take me a thousand words to describe the role he plays in these stories.

In the sixteen years that I have been practicing my photography I have only caught a handful of moonsets. It is such a difficult and challenging subject to capture. My first moonset is of the moon setting over Hanauma Bay (sold out), the others are Moonlight Sonata and Moon Over Mt Baker both captured in Washington state.

(click on a thumbnail above to see a close-up of these detail grabs of the larger image)

"Island of Sky" is a limited edition of 12 only

About the prints: I print on a premium substrate that is unparalleled in depth and luminosity. The material refracts light in such a way that light travels laterally through the paper as well as reflects to the audience creating a brilliant effect that many mistake to be rear illumination. Each print is then face mounted to acrylic and sandwiched to a protective backing. The artwork is then framed or a recessed mount is added to the back to float on the wall. I offer many framing options on this website or you can collect the artwork and have it framed at your preferred framer. I recommend Island of Sky to be framed in a narrow black or brown frame with three to five inches of white space. More arrangements are available. Liners are available in Black, White, Beige. See FRAMES in the menu above for more frames and liner options.