I first had the idea for this painting right around the winter solstice of 2021, and I ended up painting it right around the winter solstice of 2022. There is a feeling of stillness and quiet contemplation I wanted to capture, which is partially the reason for the title of the piece (the word solstice is derived from the Latin sol (“sun”) and sistere (“to stand still”). While painting this, I thought about the passing of time from one solstice to the next, but also about making the moment stop.

I used a crow’s wing both because of a personal tie to crows (a connection to my late father) - and because of the symbolism of crows in some belief systems as representing death, rebirth and the afterlife. This again touches back to the title “Solstice”, as observance of the winter solstice often focuses on rebirth and reflection.

“Solstice” is about stopping, looking, and reflecting on the passing of time and life.Stop, and look, and enjoy