Picturing the Night Sky for One Moon Cycle

New Moon (M.A. Reilly, 5.18.15 - Gelatos, chalk pastels, white gesso, black and white photograph)

I have long been fascinated with the night sky--especially the moon.  For the last few years I have made hundreds of photographic images and traditional media works.  In a project I am currently beginning with teachers and students I made a slideshow--a visual slice of life-- using some of those images (see below).

Blueblack Night (M.A Reilly, 5.18.15)

For the next month (28 days), I'll be making images of the night sky--based on what I observe and
wished I might have observed.  I hold little allegiance to reality. I plan to use a range of media and to introduce children and teachers to that media as they study the skies.  I hope that they might explore some of the following traditional drawing and paint media, as well as digital media as they create a series of drawings, paintings, photographs, and mixed media collages that represent what they saw and imagined as they studied the sky during the next 28 days.  They'll create these works alongside some writing.

Drawing and Paint Media

1. Watercolor cakes
2. Reeves gouache paint set
3. Faber-Castel Gelatos
4. Chalk pastels
5. Gel medium
6. White gesso
7. White glue
8. Crayola Color Switcher Markers
9. Metallic markers
10. crayons
11. Sakura white gel pens
12. Sakura color gel pens
13. Inktense Color Drawing Pencils
14. 2H, HB, B and @b drawing pencils
15. Charcoal White pencils
16. Micron-01 black ink pens
17. Erasers
18. artist tape

Digital and Photographic Media

1. Polaroid camera/film
2. Digital photography

Substrates/Paper/Fabric

1. Black drawing paper
2. Watercolor cardstock
3. Artist Tiles - Black
4. Artist Tiles  white
5. 70 pound white drawing paper
6. cardboard
7. found papers
8. origami paper
9. rice paper
10. fabric scraps
11. newspaper
12. magazines
13. photocopies

"The dark wheat listens."

Moon Over Field (M.A. Reilly, 2012)

BeginningBy James Wright

The moon drops one or two feathers into the field.   

The dark wheat listens.

Be still.

Now.

There they are, the moon's young, trying

Their wings.

Between trees, a slender woman lifts up the lovely shadow

Of her face, and now she steps into the air, now she is gone

Wholly, into the air.

I stand alone by an elder tree, I do not dare breathe

Or move.

I listen.

The wheat leans back toward its own darkness,

And I lean toward mine.

James Wright, “Beginning” from Above the River: The Complete Poems and Selected Prose. Copyright © 1990 by James Wright. Reprinted by permission of Wesleyan University Press.

The Moon

I have been fascinated by the moon, spending hours making images during the last few years. Here are a few.   -  Mary Ann 

Winter Solstice (2010)

Aftermath (2011)

Tuscan Moon (2009)

Loch Ness (2006)

Pastoral (2012)

And Full of Sleep (2012)

Moon Longing (2012)

The Bath (2012)

Full Moon Rising (2011)

A Thousand Years of Dreaming (2012)

Moonrise (2012)

Moon Be Gone (2012)

Moon Rising in Newark (2012)

Midnight (2008)

Make a Wish (2009)

Winter Tree (2013)

Moon Over Field (2012)

Catch the Wind (2011)

Moon Impression (2011)

Night Lights (2009)

And the Stars Fell One-by-One (2008)

Clotho (2010)

Praise Song for the Solstice (2010)

Winter Fog (2010)

Raven Moon (2011)

An Offering (2011)

Bewitched (2009)

Forgetfulness (2009)

Coming through the Rye (2011)

Sisyphus (2011)