Well, this was not really at all what was intended yet it is yet another of the variation on my recent theme. I realized as I am sure many others do, that in the first few days after new moon, we really only have a short time to observe it before it sets or at least becomes distorted in image as it is low in the atmosphere.
I started to set up too late only to negotiate a view between clouds, wind at the drawing table, etc. All of June through early July in Portland can be deceivingly cool and breezy in the evenings. Another unknown climate condition that out of state tourists are unaware of.
So it became a concentration first on Mare Crisium and the rest is merely my usual collage of lunar art. Other than Mare Crisum sketched from the eyepiece, most other details were added later from photos that I referred to from the eyepiece with a hand held digital camera.
There were a couple notes to make but as usual I do those in image rather than words. As much as others have asked me to make notes on the work area of the art, if you think that would add to the overall image, I would like to hear from you. As there was an orange star at the southern cusp (that is rendered in the top of this image as you know, it is reversed in the Newtonian reflector.) I watched it in its position change fast as the moon nearly occulted it. These are the things that the general public who have never observed though a telescope will never see nor understand. It is not all about seeing only in the moment but watching the subtle changes as they occur, least know by those who have never observed through a telescope, the dynamically changing light at the terminator and how this adds tremendous dimensional interpretation for the patient observer through the eyepiece. Something that sketching enhances greatly in ones 'seeing'.
The lower large surface image was merely roughed in from imagination so it remains as quite sketchy and impressionistic. [read: unfinished]
I might have been influence just before working on this art as I had just read yesterdays NY Times article on the astronaut/artist Alan Bean before sketching >
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/us...ng%20It&st=cse
Sketch is on black Stonehenge paper 20" X 32"
Telescope: 10.1" Coulter Dobsonain
Eyepieces: 32mm Super Plossl at 36X magnification for whole moon image; 9.7mm super plossl- 120X magnification for close-up images.
Seeing during sketching session was with light wind and ranging from 6/10 ~ 8/10 from 8:45 PDT ~ 10:00 PDT
Mark
www.markseibold.com
My CN Gallery >
http://www.cloudynights.com/photopost/showgallery.php?ppuser=37924&cat=50 0
