Original Painting from the Stillwater Series, 'Afterglow'

Memories are a curious thing. I like to think we were given them so that we might have daffodils in December, snowflakes in August. Presence amongst absence - a quality specific only to memory. I am reminded of this often, especially in light's slow retraction: sunset.

The other night, I was disappointed to realize I'd just missed the sun's final rays. And yet I found myself with the strange urge to remain. So, with little expectation and no real reason I could yet comprehend, I stayed and watched the remnants of color hover over the water.

Very quickly, I realized how misplaced my disappointment was. The afterglow was more strikingly brilliant than the sunset itself. All heat was gone, and yet the color only grew richer.

Heat is like reality. Immediate, demanding, physical - something present, something we can feel and experience. Color, in comparison, is more contemplative, like a memory. This is especially apparent in the afterglow. Something that has technically passed still produces meaning.

What makes this truth so impactful to me is rooted in my own philosophy. I see mercy like light - dimensional, shimmering, fundamental to life. So in this way, I'm reminded that mercy, too, has an afterglow. Just because I cannot see the sun does not mean it has vanished. Its impact never truly ceases - it lingers over the waters of memory.

Now I understand why I stayed that night and why I "wasted" a half hour on something seemingly useless. It was not a waste, but a moment of deep contemplation. Afterglow reflects my gratitude to that gentle voice inside that asked me to stay. It gave me a chance to reflect on mercy and to realize its color is never gone. It's only deepening. Becoming fuller in its own afterglow.  

Auction details

Starting bid: $4680 USD. Bid in the auction panel above. Each bid must be at least the "Next Minimum Bid" shown.

Auction closes: Friday October 16 at 7:00 PM Pacific Time (PT).

Medium: Acrylic on canvas, unframed. Signed by the artist, with a certificate of authenticity.

Every bid is binding. Please bid only if you intend to buy. The winner receives an emailed invoice and must pay within 12 hours, or the painting may go to the next-highest bidder.

All auction sales are final. There are no returns or exchanges. The only exceptions are damage in transit or a material misdescription reported within 5 days of delivery.

Shipping: Free within the U.S.; $300 USD flat rate anywhere outside the U.S. International buyers pay any import duties and taxes. To protect it in transit, the painting is removed from its stretcher, rolled, and shipped in a commercial tube. It arrives unstretched and ready for your framer; the stretcher is not included. Allow 2–4 weeks from payment.

Local pickup (Seattle area): free, by appointment, within 14 days of payment. Picked-up paintings stay on their stretcher.

Copyright: you own the painting. The artist keeps the copyright and reproduction rights.

Questions? Email auctions@rachellekearns.com before the auction closes.

By placing a bid, you agree to our Auction Terms.