Passage 2019

Terri Kelly Moyers made this painting, Passage, sometime in the 20th century. The whole scene is rendered in these soft, muted colors, like a memory fading into the background. And the way she's handled the paint—smooth, controlled, almost like watercolor—it feels deliberate, like she's carefully constructing a story, or maybe a feeling. There's this striking figure in the foreground, adorned in a garment with colorful bands, gazing upwards toward the geese, who are beautifully rendered with subtle gradations of grey and black. Notice how the crispness of the flying geese contrasts with the haziness of the background, creating a captivating depth. It's like she's captured a fleeting moment, a pause in the everyday, where the earthbound connects with the boundless sky. I wonder what these birds mean to the figure. Are they hopes, dreams, or memories? This piece reminds me of the Hudson River School painters, like Thomas Cole. Just as they did, Moyers seems interested in capturing the spiritual essence of the American landscape. It's a reminder that art isn't about answers, but about opening up new ways of seeing and feeling.