Starbuck-Sparkles

Sparkles an oil painting by David  Starbuck. The art measures 12" x 24" and the frame is 13" x 25", frame included.

"For me, the names of my paintings always carry a purpose.  Maybe it’s a piece of information that conveys clues as to the setting for the story I’m painting, or maybe it’s a creative selection of the name that might put a smile on a person’s face as they view the painting.

Sometimes the name for a painting is established well before the first brush stoke is ever applied but then again, on other occasions, a painting receives its name as the very last step right after laying down the signature on the piece. 

 In a recently completed 12”x24” oil on linen of two Tundra Swans in flight, I worked to be very deliberate to create the mood of the piece through the use of the light.  I wanted this piece to pop, conveying the essence of the experience I felt while on an evening field trip to the Pungo Unit. On that trip I was surrounded by about 5000 Tundra Swans and with the sun setting I could watch the last glow of sunlight transforming the mostly all white plumage into a vast shimmering of hues on these beautiful birds. Upon completion of the painting, our three-year-old granddaughter Gracie arrived for a weekend visit to Nana and Pap’s house.  The custom for the granddaughters upon arrival is to find their way in my studio, looking for the most recent wildlife, or animal creations that they might be able to identify.  On this evening as Gracie walked into the studio holding my hand she pointed upward toward the piece perched on the easel and said, “Look Pap, that one sparkles!”  And immediately, this no named painting instantly found its name, and with Gracie’s confirmation “Sparkles” it was."