The line goes, "A leanbhan O, the paley moon hath brimmed her cusp in dew, and weeps to hear the sad sleep-tune I sing, O love, to you." "A leanbhan O" sounds like "aylee-on-van-o" and means "dear little child." Often this line appears in the second verse, but I've taken some creative liscense to place it in the first verse. Also, the poem might say "the pale half moon," but when sung by the Corries, it sounds like "paley."
It's pretty hard to paint the moon, I discovered! When a bright thing in a dark field is the subject of a painting, the viewer's eye stops right there and doesn't move around. And yet, what can the artist put in the surrounding area that will be 1) interesting, 2) not cliche, and 3) not too distracting? I think this painting is pretty successful. I'd be interested to hear your comments! Thanks for coming to view it.
I like this painting very much. All the spirals and curves emphasize the traditional feminine associations of the moon, as do the colors. I could see this as a Tarot card illustration; it's serene and dynamic at the same time.
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