L'Éclaircie

L’Éclaircie is a piece from my Parlour Games series, which explores the cultural boundaries of what is considered appropriate to display in our domestic spaces, employing motifs, colors, and degrees of complexity in design.

An éclaircie is a break in the clouds, a momentary clearing of the sky where the sun pours through. I’ve always referred to them as sun spots. As an avid hiker, I’ve often trudged up mountainsides in unfavorable weather conditions and spotted a break in the clouds upon reaching a plateau. They are reminiscent of mirages, offering the promise of a beautifully clear sky that is just out of reach, yet they instill hope that the inclement weather will soon dissipate. One of the delightful aspects of living in Colorado is that the weather does often pass, illuminating the stunning scenery you worked so hard to see.

It is important to me to bring the unpredictability and wildness of nature into our every day spaces. We tend to showcase natural elements that have been cultivated and controlled, signifying human authority over nature. The lichens in this work of art are as vibrant and delicately beautiful as garden flowers. Yet, lichens are usually overlooked, undervalued, and tread upon. L’Éclaircie encourages us to seek out moments of joy amidst the ordinary, and to celebrate the magnificence found in every aspect of nature—from the unassuming, to the wild, and even the extraordinary.