Moods of Ophelia
Blank canvases have always been a fascination to me, and the whole idea of where ideas come from. At one moment something isn’t, then suddenly, it is! Though I don’t know where inspirations come from (that’s still a mystery to me), as an artist, I honor their source with a deep sense of gratitude.
Moods of Ophelia, and all the works that comprise this exhibition, began with a simple gift of inspiration passed on to me by a fellow artist. That gift resulted in an oil sketch—Ophelia-First Emergence—the intention of which was to be the start of a single painting. But as happens now and then, I found myself enjoying the beauty of the sketch just the way it was, so I called it finished and went on to use it as reference for a “finished” painting, Ophelia-Reborn.
But it didn’t stop there. I became intrigued with the three dominant shapes of the image that had emerged and decided to pursue further variations of that theme. The inspirations that ensued from that first gift of an idea bacame the basis for many paintings and drawings, and inspired works of sculpture, poetry, music and video as well.
I trust you'll experience some of my fascination as you catch glimpses of the path I traveled in producing the art works for this exhibition. I trust too, that in so doing you will share with me in the mystery of inspiration, and perhaps leave with a renewed awareness of your own sources of inspiration and your responses to them.
--Don Haggerty
Ophelia--First Emergence
Oil on canvas
24" x 36"
How Many Moods?
How many moods, Ophelia?
Where have you gone to summon them?
A banquet of feelings, a feast of ideas,
Let me ponder their source.
From a single seed,
An entire mountain is dressed.
From one morsel,
A meal of many courses is served.
From a lone canvas,
A gallery is filled.
From one simple gift,
An artist is made happy for a long, long time.
Oil on canvas
24" x 36"
How Many Moods?
How many moods, Ophelia?
Where have you gone to summon them?
A banquet of feelings, a feast of ideas,
Let me ponder their source.
From a single seed,
An entire mountain is dressed.
From one morsel,
A meal of many courses is served.
From a lone canvas,
A gallery is filled.
From one simple gift,
An artist is made happy for a long, long time.
Ophelia--Portals
Oil on canvas
24" x 36"
Now. Come.
Once in a while
Something opens up
And I’m invited in.
Come.
There’s an opening now.
Now. Come.
Oil on canvas
24" x 36"
Now. Come.
Once in a while
Something opens up
And I’m invited in.
Come.
There’s an opening now.
Now. Come.
Ophelia--Cartograph
Oil on canvas
24" x 36"
What Isn’t Is
What isn’t there,
I see most clearly.
What can’t be touched,
I feel most deeply.
What isn’t said,
I speak of mostly.
What can’t be can,
And what isn’t…is.
Oil on canvas
24" x 36"
What Isn’t Is
What isn’t there,
I see most clearly.
What can’t be touched,
I feel most deeply.
What isn’t said,
I speak of mostly.
What can’t be can,
And what isn’t…is.
Ophelia--Islands
Oil on canvas
24" x 36"
Three Friends
Where have you come from?
Three new friends.
Born of one brush,
One hundred inspirations.
Oil on canvas
24" x 36"
Three Friends
Where have you come from?
Three new friends.
Born of one brush,
One hundred inspirations.
Ophelia--Islands
Ball point pen on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Who Knows?
Who knows where I’ll go
Until I go there?
Who knows what I’ll be
Until I am?
Ball point pen on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Who Knows?
Who knows where I’ll go
Until I go there?
Who knows what I’ll be
Until I am?
Ophelia--Rectangle, Triangle, Circle
Oil on canvas
24" x 36"
The Obvious
The Obvious--
It’s my constant companion,
Rushing always to my aid.
Its voice is so loud
I can’t hear much else.
I need to find a new friend.
Oil on canvas
24" x 36"
The Obvious
The Obvious--
It’s my constant companion,
Rushing always to my aid.
Its voice is so loud
I can’t hear much else.
I need to find a new friend.
Ophelia--Reposed
Oil bar on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Footprints
I looked behind
And saw footprints
As far as my eye could see.
Oil bar on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Footprints
I looked behind
And saw footprints
As far as my eye could see.
Ophelia--Infinite Return
Oil bar on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
A Knock, a Gift
You knocked on my door
And I invited you in.
You spoke to me
And offered your gift.
We spent the whole afternoon
In conversation.
Then you left your gift
And departed.
Oil bar on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
A Knock, a Gift
You knocked on my door
And I invited you in.
You spoke to me
And offered your gift.
We spent the whole afternoon
In conversation.
Then you left your gift
And departed.
Ophelia--Offspring
Oil bar on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Memory of Distant Futures
A shadow.
A thought.
A beam of light.
A memory of distant futures,
Returns again
To claim once more
What never was
But will always be.
Oil bar on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Memory of Distant Futures
A shadow.
A thought.
A beam of light.
A memory of distant futures,
Returns again
To claim once more
What never was
But will always be.
Ophelia--Winter
Red conte on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Frozen Reeds
Dry, frozen reeds,
Whipped by frigid wind,
Liven the shore with percussion
That would make a Latin band happy,
And any listener warm.
Red conte on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Frozen Reeds
Dry, frozen reeds,
Whipped by frigid wind,
Liven the shore with percussion
That would make a Latin band happy,
And any listener warm.
Ophelia--Split Horizons
Oil and tempera on hardboard
7.5" x 9.5"
How Many Times?
How many times
Must I lose my way?
A hundred.
Perhaps a thousand.
One painting,
A hundred turns.
One painting,
A thousand destinations.
Oil and tempera on hardboard
7.5" x 9.5"
How Many Times?
How many times
Must I lose my way?
A hundred.
Perhaps a thousand.
One painting,
A hundred turns.
One painting,
A thousand destinations.
Ophelia--Ad Lib I
Ball point pen on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Play
Nothing to gain.
Nothing to lose.
Of such is made
The joy
And the wonder
Of play.
Ball point pen on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Play
Nothing to gain.
Nothing to lose.
Of such is made
The joy
And the wonder
Of play.
Ophelia--Ad Lib II
Sharpie on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
I Am
I play,
Therefore I am.
Sharpie on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
I Am
I play,
Therefore I am.
Ophelia--Ad Lib III
Ball point pen on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
To Do Over
If I had it to do over,
I probably would.
Or maybe not.
Ball point pen on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
To Do Over
If I had it to do over,
I probably would.
Or maybe not.
Ophelia--Ad Lib IV
Sharpie on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Tomatoes
My tomatoes grew in the night.
Slowly.
My inspiration came
Like light as it arrived from a distant star.
Instantly.
Sharpie on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Tomatoes
My tomatoes grew in the night.
Slowly.
My inspiration came
Like light as it arrived from a distant star.
Instantly.
Ophelia--Three Revelations
Oil bar on hardboard
7.5" x 9.5"
A Secret
I knew a secret.
Now I know three.
Oil bar on hardboard
7.5" x 9.5"
A Secret
I knew a secret.
Now I know three.
Ophelia--Three Stones
Three stones on gessoed hardboard
7.5" x 9.5"
So Easy to Forget
In the middle of a crosswalk,
Or the middle of the night,
An inspiration is equally
Easy to forget.
Three stones on gessoed hardboard
7.5" x 9.5"
So Easy to Forget
In the middle of a crosswalk,
Or the middle of the night,
An inspiration is equally
Easy to forget.
Ophelia--Apparition
Acrylic house paint on canvas
24" x 36"
Collaboration
Paint has a mind of its own,
As does every artist.
Good things happen
When the two, at last,
Willingly collaborate.
Paint can’t go it alone.
Nor can I.
Acrylic house paint on canvas
24" x 36"
Collaboration
Paint has a mind of its own,
As does every artist.
Good things happen
When the two, at last,
Willingly collaborate.
Paint can’t go it alone.
Nor can I.
Ophelia--Experimental Music
Acrylic on canvas
24" x 36"
With Eyes Closed Tight
With my eyes closed tight,
If I look real hard,
I see colors at last
That are truly mine.
Acrylic on canvas
24" x 36"
With Eyes Closed Tight
With my eyes closed tight,
If I look real hard,
I see colors at last
That are truly mine.
Ophelia--Night Sky
Galvanized steel, brass rods, acrylic paint, wood base
8 1/8"H x 10"W x 3 1/2"D
Night Sky
As the weather changes.
So must I.
Bright moon.
Clouded sky.
Each one points me the way.
Galvanized steel, brass rods, acrylic paint, wood base
8 1/8"H x 10"W x 3 1/2"D
Night Sky
As the weather changes.
So must I.
Bright moon.
Clouded sky.
Each one points me the way.
Ophelia--Inner Space
Galvanized steel, brass rods, acrylic paint, wood base
11"H x 16"W x 4"D
From the Great Empty Space
From a small piece of emptiness
Form emerges.
Out of the void
A figure appears.
From the wide open air
Something new is born.
From nothing,
From nadda,
From the great empty space,
From such is made an artist’s joy.
Galvanized steel, brass rods, acrylic paint, wood base
11"H x 16"W x 4"D
From the Great Empty Space
From a small piece of emptiness
Form emerges.
Out of the void
A figure appears.
From the wide open air
Something new is born.
From nothing,
From nadda,
From the great empty space,
From such is made an artist’s joy.
Ophelia--Extracted Forms
Galvanized steel, brass rods, acrylic paint, wood base
10 5/8"H x 16"W x 4 3/8"D
Never Say Never
It’s never too late
To never
Say never.
Galvanized steel, brass rods, acrylic paint, wood base
10 5/8"H x 16"W x 4 3/8"D
Never Say Never
It’s never too late
To never
Say never.
Ophelia--Bent Planes
Galvanized steel, brass rods, acrylic paint, wood base
16 3/8"H x 9 1/8"W x 9 1/8"D
One’s Very Own
For an artist,
There are few events
To match the arrival
Of one’s very own,
Very real,
Aha!
Galvanized steel, brass rods, acrylic paint, wood base
16 3/8"H x 9 1/8"W x 9 1/8"D
One’s Very Own
For an artist,
There are few events
To match the arrival
Of one’s very own,
Very real,
Aha!
Ophelia--Floating Planes and Angles
Galvanized steel, brass rods, acrylic paint, wood base
12 1/2"H x 19"W x 4"D
All That Work
All that work.
And I could have been watching TV.
Galvanized steel, brass rods, acrylic paint, wood base
12 1/2"H x 19"W x 4"D
All That Work
All that work.
And I could have been watching TV.
Ophelia--Planes and Angles Abstraction I
Charcoal on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Charcoal on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Ophelia--Planes and Angles Abstraction II
Charcoal on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Charcoal on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Ophelia--Planes and Angles Abstraction III
Charcoal on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Charcoal on paper
7.5" x 9.5"
Ophelia--The Cleansing
Oil on canas
24" x 36"
The Well
I peered into a well and wondered
How I might draw from its waters.
Then I saw myself
Reflected, peering back, full.
Oil on canas
24" x 36"
The Well
I peered into a well and wondered
How I might draw from its waters.
Then I saw myself
Reflected, peering back, full.
Ophelia--Currents
Oil on canas
24" x 36"
Every Color Makes a Sound
Every color makes a sound.
Listen.
Closely.
As do twinkling stars.
As does a lover’s gaze.
Listen.
The colors sing.
Oil on canas
24" x 36"
Every Color Makes a Sound
Every color makes a sound.
Listen.
Closely.
As do twinkling stars.
As does a lover’s gaze.
Listen.
The colors sing.
Ophelia--Cosmos
Oil on canas
24" x 36"
Cosmic Proportions
Even a square inch of canvas
Contains revelations of cosmic proportions.
Oil on canas
24" x 36"
Cosmic Proportions
Even a square inch of canvas
Contains revelations of cosmic proportions.
Ophelia--Blue Porcelain on Black
Oil on canas
24" x 36"
Precarious Work
The process of art making
Is nothing more
Than a series of creations,
And destructions,
And eventual recoveries.
Oil on canas
24" x 36"
Precarious Work
The process of art making
Is nothing more
Than a series of creations,
And destructions,
And eventual recoveries.
Ophelia--Reborn
Oil on canas
24" x 36"
The Moment
In a moment
--A split moment of a moment--
An inspiration flashes itself
Upon my world.
In that moment of a moment,
My world is changed.
Imagination is fueled,
And another work is born.
Oil on canas
24" x 36"
The Moment
In a moment
--A split moment of a moment--
An inspiration flashes itself
Upon my world.
In that moment of a moment,
My world is changed.
Imagination is fueled,
And another work is born.
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Click HERE for a YouTube virtual tour of Don's
Moods of Ophelia solo exhibition at the Peninsula College Gallery of Art in Port Angeles, Washington (2010).
