Desktop calendar, 1280 x 1024 for square and laptop monitors.

August Nature Desktop Calendar: Sunset, Moonset

Sunset, Moonset, pastel on self-prepared board, 8 x 12 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Sunset, Moonset, pastel on self-prepared board, 8 x 12 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Sometimes the moon follows the sun over the edge, especially as it did this summer evening after storms cleared. The lower sky was layered with clouds in all colors, wispy, puffy blended as if I’d put my finger up there and moved the pigments around. the half moon had risen earlier in the day and was just behind the sun, setting only about an hour later, but brilliant way up in the sky, above most clouds, in that deeper blue canopy.

I used various soft and hard pastels on a self-prepared board; on this board I used Colourfix Fine Blue Pastel Ground. I did sand it between coats and afterward, but I still ended up with pock marks in the surface which you can see right above where the clouds stop, but no matter.

And a personal connection…

I always associate this painting with my brother, and when I think of my brother I see this painting. He was a lifetime alcoholic and had suffered a brain injury but I helped him to live independently for over a decade. He had a brief respite from the struggle in those years but at a point it began to reclaim him. I managed his accounts and when Social Security arrived each month I’d take him grocery shopping. In July 2016 we went off to the store while a summer storm raged outside. The storm had passed and the day was nearing sunset when we emerged, The sky was awesome, clouds in rainbow colors roiling like turgid water. I had my camera and wanted to head right to a place where I knew I could get a clear shot of the sky and the horizon, and I invited my brother to come with me. He enjoyed spur of the moment decisions like that but this time he decided to head home and put away his groceries. He was tiring easily, so I helped him carry things in and then took off.

By that time the sun was just about to slip below the horizon and the clouds had become even more dramatic, tinged and illuminated by every color of sunset. When I reached my viewpoint I saw that the half moon had slipped above the edge of the clouds. I took as many photos as I could, all the while thinking of my brother, and how the storm and the turmoil in the sky brought so many analogies to where he was at that moment.

I talked with him several times after that, but that was the last time I saw him in person. About 10 days later he suffered what appeared to be an aneurysm in his apartment while alone. He went quickly, with no suffering. I had anticipated his loss for years. This was far better than many scenarios I had imagined for him.

So the photos came to symbolize his life of turmoil, and then the passing of that storm into something wild and beautiful, with the both sun and moon joining the event. I knew I’d want to paint it at some point, to have a deeper bond with the image, and so I did the following year.

The anniversary of his passing was at the end of July, and he’s been on my mind this year, so I chose this painting for August.

About the painting

I was honored that this painting was featured on Facebook by Keith Linwood Stover in his Artists Supporting Artists Cyber Art Show.

I participated in Leslie Saeta’s annual “30 in 30” painting challenge in January 2017. This was my painting for day 3. Read my wrap-up of all my paintings from this painting challenge. See all the art from this and other painting challenges on Creative Challenges.

Get a print of “Sunset, Moonset”

Register for an account and get a free matted print

The featured artwork also becomes one of the New Member Gifts for the month it’s featured as well, so if you’ve been waiting to register for an account, here’s another good reason. This New Member print is a signed digital print of my pastel “Sunset, Moonset”. Prints are made in archival inks on acid-free Epson art paper. This print is 8″ x 11″ with a pure white mat to fit an 11″ x 14″ frame.

Click here to register for your account to order your free print. When I receive your registration I’ll send you an email with information on how to order.


This month’s desktop calendar

Wallpaper calendars are free to download. You’ll find them below along with instructions.

If these sizes don’t work for your device, or if you have problems, please let me know. Often I can troubleshoot the reason an image won’t download or won’t load on your device, but if I just can’t figure it out I can just email it to you and hope that works.

How to download and use your desktop calendar

  1. Click on one of the images below that matches the dimensions of your monitor to open the image in a new page.
  2. For desktop computers and laptops, right-click on that image and on a desktop computer choose “save as desktop wallpaper” or “save as background” or whichever option your operating system gives you to be able to do this. You may also simply save it to your hard drive and set it as your background from there.
  3. For mobile devices, press on the image to bring up a menu and choose “open in new window”. Go to that window and press until a menu appears and choose as “set as wallpaper” or “set as lock screen” or whatever you’d like—this is slightly different on all devices.

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Horizontal and HD monitors and screens

Desktop calendar 2560 x 1440 for HD and wide screens.

Desktop calendar 2560 x 1440 for HD and wide screens.

. . .

Square monitors and screens

Desktop calendar, 1280 x 1024 for square and laptop monitors.

Desktop calendar, 1280 x 1024 for square and laptop monitors.

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Small Mobile Devices and Tablets

Desktop calendar, 600 x 800 for large mobile devices and tablets.

Desktop calendar, 600 x 800 for large mobile devices and tablets.

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Cell Phones and Smartphones

Desktop calendar, 330 x 700 for mobile phones.

Desktop calendar, 330 x 700 for mobile phones.


Take a look at other featured artwork and desktop calendar posts.

Each month I feature a piece of artwork or a photo from the archives to the present day, tell its story, and set it up as a free downloadable desktop calendar for just about every electronic device available.

Other items with the same art or design To find all items on this site with the same art or design, use the search box for the name of the artwork and you'll find all that's available.

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© 2022 | www.PortraitsOfAnimals.net | Published by Bernadette E. Kazmarski

All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit “purchasing” for availability and terms.

 

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