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Ad Astra

5/3/2015 7:26:17 AM by Charlotte Herczfeld
4 Comments

Ad Astra by Charlotte Herczfeld
Ad Astra by Charlotte Herczfeld

"Per aspera ad astra" is Latin for "through hardships to the stars". Another phrase is "sic itur ad astra" meaning "thus you shall go to the stars". In other words, the title of this painting is "To the Stars".

 

Stars can be large or small wonders, they can be out of reach or just  a bow away. While painting, I thought of the sense of wonder we all used to have as children, when the world was still to be discovered. Some say this enchantment goes away, but I don't agree with that. I believe we're often so busy that we don't give ourselves the time to really take in the everyday miracles around us.

 

Artists, poets, authors, film makers, musicians, etc,  often live in that wonder, and show it to us, reminding us it is there -- all around us. The poem we love, the book we return to as a loved friend, the painting that shows the amazing in the ordinary, that haunting melody, they are what enrich our lives.

 

Give yourself a precious gift -- stop now and then to really see, truly hear, inhale deeply,  and let the joy and amazement fill you.

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4 Responses to Ad Astra

This one really does show the extraordinary in the ordinary! I've never found starfish on a beach, though I did once find a dead hermit crab and that was even cooler. Love the wind blowing through and the sense of heat, her crisp white dress blowing, her slim arms and delicate hands.

She could be a very slender woman or a preteen child, it's impossible to tell anything except that she's dressed fancy for church or a family event or something relatively formal - but still beach combing anyway, managing to stay clean for those obligations and still love the sea and sand. Even time slips and slides in this one, could she be from an earlier century with that long skirt and colorful hat?

You created a character in this painting, someone with a story that juxtaposes daintiness and scavenging sea creatures. Love how the wet sand and water meet, sky reflections and bits of green weed... it's a magical moment!

Posted by Robert Sloan · via charlotteherczfeld.com · 137 months ago

The reference was excellent, from WC. Yes, it is a preteen child, as far as I can judge it. All decked up in that gorgeoud white dress. The wind blows away the perfection, creating an artist's perfection of the splayed fingers of the hand holding the hat that echoes the starfish.

I love that time-ambiguity. Is she from now, or from before? Does it really matter?

The sense of wonder, of discovery, of collection.

I tried to make the division between land and water someshat ambiguous, as the girl was the centre of interest.

Posted by Charlotte Herczfeld · via charlotteherczfeld.com · 137 months ago

Forgot to say...The song in my mind when painting this was Jaques Brel's "Seasons in the sun", written at the passing away of his son. The line "the stars we could reach were the starfish on the beach" echoed in my cranium. The version by Terry Jacks is the one I hear still.

https://youtu.be/-tPcc1ftj8E
Egads, was I ever that young?

Posted by Charlotte Herczfeld · via charlotteherczfeld.com · 137 months ago

Exucuse the typos, I was writing on my phone and it insisted on Swedish spelling.

Posted by Charlotte Herczfeld · via charlotteherczfeld.com · 137 months ago

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