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Explanation #1

• Snare Drum Roll – progresses from wrist strokes (blue) to bounce strokes (black) to buzz strokes (red). The most important areas are the spaces between the pictures where the techniques must overlap to make a smooth progression. The easiest technique to acquire is the wrist stroke which is quite natural and simple to master – represented by the smiling pause. The bounce stroke is quite difficult for the novice to control – represented by the sad pause and harrowing rays/ hair. To successfully transition from one to the other, the fastest wrist stroke must be faster than the slowest bounce stroke and vice versa. The same is true transitioning from the bounce stroke to the buzz stroke. The mastery of the roll – from slow to fast – takes untold numbers of hours of practice. Achieving the goal is represented by the rewarding gold rays on a bright red background.

 

Explanation #2

• Stellar Evolution – The representation begins quite late in the star’s life as a Blue Supergiant and progresses to a Type II Supernova before coming to rest as a Black Hole. The reduction in star size is portrayed in the paintings by a reduction in core size from 16” to 15” to 14”. I imagined the Supergiant stage to be the happiest for the star, the Supernova stage as the most traumatic, while the Black Hole stage might be a contented final arrival.

 

Explanation #3

• Blue: 1953 to 2014 – Black: 1983 to 2019 – Red: 2016 to ??

 

Explanation #4

• Life