“Thirty Three Hundred Light Years From Earth”

original abstract oil pastel painting "Thirty Three Hundred Light Years From Earth" by Paula Boss

11″x 15″ Oil Pastel on Cartier Magnani 300lb Cold Pressed Watercolor Paper

I was sent a Power Point Presentation in an email that features images from the Hubble Telescope. It was awe inspiring. Focusing in on a portion of the Cats Eye Nebula was the inspiration for this painting. With the painting just about complete, everything being done except for the rays that emanated from nebula, a foreboding feeling swept over me. The realization came to me that the laying down the rays was either going to work or be a complete disaster and ruin the entire painting. With apprehension I bit the bullet, keeping my fingers crossed that my plan of how to create the rays would work. Lucky me…

The painting was named, “Thirty Three Hundred Light Years From Earth” because that’s how far the Cats Eye Nebula is from us.

Cats Eye Nebula

Slide from the Hubble Telescope Power Point Presentation