Paintings Inspired by the Cosmos and More

Figurative realists Sara and Shane Scribner share their inspiration: Sara, for her “Nightfall” series of paintings of women who have found a place of calm and introspection within the looming nightfall; and Shane, for his paintings highlighting light and contrast.

Paintings Inspired by the Cosmos & More

SARA SCRIBNER

The recent paintings I created for my show “Nightfall” at Gallery 1261 in Denver are inspired by a Carl Sagan quote from The Cosmos, “The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.” What a beautiful thing to hear, that we are made up of the stuff in the universe that has always been and always will be.

It inspired a series in which the subjects have found a place of calm and introspection within the looming nightfall. The stars and moons are literal representations of our universe, the thing that surrounds and unites everything and everyone now and for all eternity.

SHANE SCRIBNER

I am obsessed with old cameras and expired film. To have a photo shoot and not necessarily know what the outcome of the colors will be is pretty exciting. From the color story that develops on the film I then enhance certain colors to add emotion/interest to the subject in my paintings.

For my painting “Serenity” (below), I shot Kodak’s Portra 800 film in my 1970’s Mamiya RB67. When I developed the film in my studio the orange cast was slight but I liked the direction so when I set out to paint it I really pushed for intense reds and oranges.

By having graphic areas within the figure, where I have intentionally ignored the form, I am able to draw the viewer’s attention to certain parts of the composition where there is greater detail and contrast. In this case, I wanted the viewer to be transported to a bright sunny day and remember how it feels to come out of the shadows and feel the warmth of the sun hit your face.

Connect with Sara and Shane Scribner:
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