All is Calm
The sun sinks, casting its last rays on East Fremantle’s “Rainbow” sea container sculpture. In the foreground a crested tern, already in shadow, rests on a pole at North Fremantle foreshore. At the first touch of an autumn dusk all is calm, all is bright.
“All is Calm” is a drawing featuring the rainbow sculpture – a much loved piece of public art in my neighbourhood. I took the source photograph for this drawing during the month of April 2022.
Below are some of the photos I’ve taken over the past year of the rainbow sculpture.
Julie Podstolski - Abstract Realism 
Absolutely beautiful! 😍🦋🌸🌈💝
Thank you Tina!
Julie,
They are both so lovely, I love 💕 that you did sunrise and sunset. The shadows are so different, amazing and delightful!!! Both birds are so different in their poses, Julie just Fabulous!!! ‘Share the Joy,’ Hugs, Joanne
Hi Joanne, yes aren’t the shadows interesting, 180 degrees opposite with the sun either very low in the east or very low in the west. I can’t help but have a favourite now which is the newer drawing.
And there you are again, Julie – excelling yourself! I particularly like the difference of the two together …. So much detail that really works. Love them both and will miss the rainbow ….. if and when it goes.
Hi Joy, I assume the sculpture will go…at least…somewhere else (rather than disappear altogether).
Here’s a thing – because of the different angles from which I photographed the sculpture and the differing sizes of the birds within the landscapes, the two drawings don’t sit well side by side. They’ll have to be hung well away from one another in the exhibition.
What a great pair! Although, I can see what you mean in your comment above that the two drawings won’t work as a pair, but will need to sit separately in the exhibition. This will also give them each a power of their own, take away comparisons. I love this new one – the way the sculpture gives the bird a halo. It looks as though it is about to leap off to pick a morsel up, in absolute concentration. So interesting to see how the light at either end of the day emphasises different parts of this magnificent sculpture too.
Hi Anna, I’ve spent a couple of days at Yallingup hence delay in replying. The crested tern DID leap off the pole soon after I took the source photo for this. I captured the leap so it was a toss-up whether to draw from that one or this one.
I am now rather unsure about the older drawing “Colour My World”. It may or may not make it to the framer and, eventually, exhibition. I know I’m prone to overthinking these things but it just doesn’t do it for me anymore. In a nutshell, I like the bird but not the rest of it so much.
LATER: I DID get rid of “Colour My World”. Got rid of the drawing and all images of it. Feel much better now – released. Its presence was blocking me from being inspired to draw.
Isn’t it interesting, how using similar reference for a second work can either enhance the first or – as in this case – weaken the first. I really applaud you for letting the first one go, not because I thought it was a bad work, it wasn’t, but the easy option would have been to keep it, so much work had gone into it. I can just imagine the sense of relief you felt! Having said that, I think this one is REALLY strong, a very good drawing. In the end, you have to be the critic you listen to.
AND still not finished! This morning I softened the edges between the shadow part and in-sun part of the container sculpture. I don’t know if you’ll be able to tell the difference but it looks better to me.
I definitely feel better after letting go of the other one. It is a bit like purging something out of your system – and once it is gone you don’t feel ill any more!
Its very cleansing!