Moonlight- Isle of the Dead (Colorado) Moonlight - Isle of the Dead depicts a small island with seemingly no inhabitants. There are ominous cliff making up the majority of the Island. The cliffs are dotted with trees in the foreground. Blue and white are used for the majority of the painting with green being used more sparingly. This piece was made by Vance Kirkland in 1943. During this period in time Kirkland’s favorite subjects were landscapes. His pieces had a sense of realism, Moonlight - Isle of the Dead is no exception. The piece is made of watercolor and paper. The shapes in the painting are largely organic. The shapes are also fairly representational. Since this piece is made with watercolor, there is no physical gesture to it. There is implied texture in the depiction of the cliffs which seem rough and jagged. Color is a major elements in this piece. The only hues used in the painting are blue and green. Black and white also make up…show more content… The cliffs, while being representational, are sharp and jagged giving the land a very harsh feel. The limited color palette of blues and greens give the painting a somber tone. It make the painting feel cold. Another aspect of the painting that reinforces the cold feeling is the use of white exclusively for the small island. Instead of being made from earth, the whites makes the island look as if it’s entirely made of snow and ice. One unifying feature of the work is the limited color palette. The blue of the water and the darkening sky give help the piece feel more connected. It looks as if the island had never seen the light of day and instead has been in perpetual night. The organic shapes of the trees and the cliffs also give unity to the painting. There are no geometric lines to give a certain part of the work emphasis. The cliffs also have some variety in the sense that there are no repeating features. The cliffs have no