Putting the Stars Back Into the Skies

Noctalgia is a term that combines the words "nocturnal" and "nostalgia" and is used to describe a feeling of longing or sadness related to the loss of quality of the night sky due to light pollution.

“What if we, all the inhabitants of this earth, have been catching all the falling stars. And like the song goes, we have been  “putting them in our pockets and saving them for a rainy day.”  What if that rainy day is right now?  It seems with all that is going on in the world currently,  the last thing we need to lose is the light of a shining star. Stars that have been guiding us through dark nights over the centuries, across lands, traversing borders, cultures, religions and politics.  Is the light of a shining star more than just a moment of awe?  Is it not a visualization of hope? 

Just imagine if we all dug deep into our pockets, don’t you think we could all find some stars? Maybe you just have one that you can reach up and return to the sky. Or maybe you have been saving millions of stars and can just toss them all up into the dark night.

Join me in this series of hopeful paintings of putting the ‘stars back into the skies.”

–Susan Wallis

See these paintings on display at Elevation Gallery in two brand new shows opening this spring.

Noctalgia: Canmore, AB. Opens February 17, 2024

Noctalgia: Fernie, BC. Opens March 2, 2024