"A Day of Infamy, A Lifetime of Grandeur"
Kristin Abraham
Acrylic - 24 Inches x 30 Inches
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Inspired by Arizona, this painting begins with the Saguaro (pronounced sah-wah-ro). Growing up to sixty-six feet tall, the saguaro holds a spiritual significance to the native people of Arizona. They saw these giant cacti as their ancestors, who came from the dust and returned to the dust. Their beliefs lead them to treat this beautiful plant with respect and kindness. While visiting the Saguaro National Park, it was easy to mistake such unique vegetation as figures, motioning to us from a distance. The blood that drips down the base of the cactus brings this further to life.
The Saguaro National Park was our first stop in Arizona, and shortly after that, we were involved in a car accident. Thankfully, no one was injured. This did leave my husband and I stranded in Tucson, without a vehicle, for four days. The delay and frustration faced during this time is illustrated with the barbed wire. The saguaro has grown into the sharp spurs. The metal will leave it's mark, but fail to prevent the growth of the determined cactus.
In this close-up, two more saguaros can be seen, standing in the distance. One waves goodbye, while the other is posed gracefully, like a slender dancer.
A stormy sky contrasts with the illuminated canyon. A canyon so vast and full of color, that it doesn't seem real, even when standing in front of it. While at this grand canyon, snow-clouds and hail created a blinding fog. The clouds temporarily lifted, as if a curtain was pulled back to reveal a vast opening in the earth.
In the distance, sits a table with a bottle of champagne. Two glasses are also found on the table. This is in remembrance of the USS Arizona. With 1,177 casualties, there were less than four hundred survivors. There is a bottle of champagne, with two glasses in the memorial museum at the Arizona State Capitol. When the remaining survivors dwindle down to two men, they will drink a toast to their shipmates, and return the empty bottle to the museum. This will mark the end of a generation of those who survived that day, "a day which will live in infamy."
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