About “Under a Gibbous Moon”

I’m often engaged by editors and art directors to illustrate the essays or short stories in their hunting and fishing publications. While some artists might chafe at “being told what to paint”, I often find myself grateful for the motivation to paint an image I might otherwise have never considered. Any opportunity for me to stretch my repertoire and step out of my comfort zone is a welcomed one.

“Under a Gibbous Moon” was conceived and painted to illustrate Nate Corley’s narrative essay, “One Last Hunt at Muck Pond”, which was recently published in the winter 2024 issue of Shooting Sportsman. In his essay, the author writes about the passage from youth to adulthood, and the last hunt with a boyhood friend before their separation.

Corley begins his story with a description of the friend’s late-night road trip to a favorite marsh, and their travel beneath a “waxing” moon. I’ve always been fascinated by the moon and its powerful symbolism for change; the foreshadowing of birth, growth, loss, and death ultimately followed again by rebirth.  As it seemed to me that the essay explores change and loss, I suggested the moon’s description be altered to that of “waning”. The story’s ending, however, illustrates that change doesn’t always necessarily mean loss, and my painting was given its title; “Under a Gibbous Moon”.

The term “gibbous” refers to the phase of the moon between a crescent and half, or half and full; both waning and waxing; change without loss.

The original oil painting is available here.