Stars and Satellites I

Douglas Smith's Stars and Satellites I gives most of its space to the night sky, and that choice does all the work. Hundreds of tiny dots in white, pink, blue, and gold scatter across the dark expanse, some of them stars and others satellites gliding silently overhead. Wispy clouds float through the upper reaches, softening the whole scene and giving it a hand painted warmth. Down below, a band of deep blue water lies perfectly still, catching just a hint of the light shimmering above it.

The painting has no landmarks, no figures, nothing to anchor us except sky and sea meeting in the dark. That emptiness is the point. Smith seems less interested in a specific place than in the feeling of standing outside on a clear night, head tilted back, watching the heavens go about their business. The title nods to something modern too, the fact that our skies now hold human made objects mixed in among the ancient stars. Old and new share the same darkness here, quietly keeping each other company.