Earth and Fire / Water and Air
In reference to St. Francis' Hymn of Praise for Gods Creation, I tried to depict the beauty of Creation in the symbols of the four elements:
Left panel: Earth and Fire
The design refers to landscapes in North-Western United States. The bottom part of the picture shows layers of multicolored sandstone together with fault lines, along which these layers were shifted in ancient times. The same lines can also be read as the steep walls of a narrow canyon. In its upper part, the picture recollects the glow of red rocks in the light of the setting sun. Alternatively, one might think of red-hot lava pushing up through a narrow cleft in the earth's surface.
Right panel: Water and Air.
In the lower part of the picture, I tried to invoke various aspects of water: The darkness of great depths, the lively flow of a mountain brook, reflections off the surface of a pond, the rhythm of waves at sea. A glint of yellow marks the horizon above which I tried to trace the subtlety of air, wind, and clouds. The faint line of yellow might also stand for the first light of the rising sun reflected by the sea.