Under the Snow

Catherine Murphy, Under the Snow

Under the Snow is a photo-realistic oil painting by artist Catherine Murphy. It depicts her observation of a decaying pile of leaves, unearthed from their bed under the winter snow. The white is partly shadowed by the cool blue of nearby trees, while the colors of the pocketed hole of dirt and foliage are darkly composed. The work incorporates the theme of time by showing the passing of it. The leaves that were once green and alive, breathing with the rest of the earth, now lay on the ground in their grave. They'll decompose, continuing to melt into the dirt which longs to swallow the remains. Winter will pass to spring, which brings new creation, which will eventually die again, as is the never-ending cycle of life. Life and time are bound together always; in a sense, the passage of time is life.

Observation art always has a special place in my heart, and Under the Snow is no exception. There's a certain value in taking the world through one's eyes and putting it down on paper, or canvas, or anything. The photo-realism of it is just as appealing as an actual photograph of the setting would be, if not more so with the knowledge of the careful composition and time (what it all comes back to!) that it took. The feeling that comes with a snowy winter is a sort of deep, quiet contemplation, that settles in your bones long after you're inside and warm under a blanket. It's a difficult, abstract state to evoke in the audience, yet I feel as though Murphy has achieved that. A final statement that's likely evident by now: Personally, I really enjoy this piece!