The Sun is Red
(click image to enlarge)
Flora Baumann

My painting, The Sun is Red, has been painted in reference to The Moon is Down, a novel written by John Steinbeck in 1942 and later earning him the Nobel Peace prize. It is a story of the resilience and hope of people during Nazi occupation in World War II.

Currently, COVID, intense heat, wild fires, and smoke, as well as social and political disruptions have conspired to reduce our lives in a way that seems almost as oppressive as the situation in the book.  That day several weeks ago, when the smoke was so thick that the sun appeared red is the subject of my painting with its apocalyptic feeling.  It is a testament to man’s resilience and spirit that we are  carrying on, coping, and still creating.

The painting is done in a tonalist style which, with its compacted values and limited color range, further emphasizes our current situation.