Part One: Reconstruction of an Image Description

Earth tones dominate this vertical painting of an immature falcon. In the background there abounds large boulders of gentle grays, soft tans, muted pinks and very pale orangish-yellows. Each of these rocks struggles for dominance of position among its brothers. They appear to reach out in all directions from their individual magnificent size, indicating that they are part of a much larger formation. They are smooth and worn, but covered in striations, cracks and deep fissures. Giving away that this scene takes place in an area that has stood the test of time.

The shadows on these boulders are only ever so slightly noticeable with the exception of the deep fissures. The fissures reach back into the depths of their joining holding a special wonder of what might be contained behind them. In proportion to the young falcon these boulders loom over his small statue as if to say they will remain even after his departure. From the lighting used for the shadows there is a sense that this is a late fall afternoon and winter might be fast approaching.

Among these massive boulders there sits a young falcon, on the well-hidden stony ledge created by the joining of these boulders, just below center and to the right of the total image. From his three quarters vantage point he is hunched over and peering from under the feathers of his left wing, which is slightly raised out from his body as he inspects that which has aroused him from his moment of solitude. His look is somewhat intense, but shows no signs of fear, only irritation at being disturbed from his quite perch among the cliffs. His colors camouflage his existence quite nicely among the earthy tones of the boulders in the background. His feathered covering is predominately the same gentle grays, whites, soft tans with black markings. The black markings on his wings are probably the only evidence that he is actually there. The artist depicts this scene with a cold stillness through the lack of any noticeable wind or movement at all within the picture.

In the foreground a large dead grayish-white branch looms in front of the rock formation as well as the young falcon. Striped of its foliage, its form is twisted and its spindly smaller branches join the twisting and turning of the large branches as they reach upward. The large main branch enters the painting from the lower right corner and meanders slowly to the left and starts an upward stretching and twisting of its branches of various sizes toward the sky that the viewer knows is there but is unseen in this painting. One of the twisted branches doubles back toward the right side of the painting and crosses in front of the young falcon breaking the complete form of the bird’s frame and allowing its tail to peek over the edge of the cliff where the falcon sits.