The Buck Moon in this painting rose on July 13, 2022. It is called “The Buck Moon” because the antlers of male deer – or Bucks – are fully grown at this time in the summer. The Native American Algonquin tribe gave July’s full moon this name.

Other tribes created special names for this particular full moon. For example, the Cree named it the “Feather Moulting Moon.” The Tinglit tribe named it “The Salmon Moon” because the fish returned to their area and were ready to be harvested. All these names describe the ripeness of mid-summer.

Fun fact: Did you know that bucks shed their antlers each year and grow them larger and more impressive the next year?

I painted this full moon outside the front stoop of my sister Amy’s house. I was dog-sitting her two border collies in her beautiful Weston, Connecticut home—a beautiful cool evening. Stoop sitting and the lightning bugs bring back memories of my childhood. Memories of growing up.

Amy and I grew up in Park Ridge, a Northwest suburb of Chicago. Our three different homes had front porches where we and the neighbors hung out on warm summer nights. Stoop sitting was a way to communicate with the neighborhood. 

I have great memories of neighbors strolling by and visiting. We often caught lightning bugs in jars with perforated tops. Running through the cool grass with our large tribe of siblings — squealing with delight. Wonderful innocent memories.

Plein air nocturne paintings are a challenge. The artist is “on the clock” to catch the mood as the light changes. Glowing light, blurred edges, and complex complementary color mixtures all add to the mystery of the night. Smart planning before the sun sets helps hide the night’s secrets.

The mysterious illusion of darkness next to the light that illuminates the palette and painting challenges the artist to record the mood. Nocturnes reveal hidden secrets in the cloak of darkness. They are mysterious and remind us of time spent out in the night.

This painting reminds me of being a kid again. Innocence before the storm. Squeals of delight.