Iconic Ionian

Iconic Ionian, 7 x 5", watercolor/Neocolor II

     And the first shall be last. The Ionian Mode is the basis for the other six modes. It is the fundamental C Major. Joanna Mell, in her book Modal Musings calls the Ionian Mode neutral. Perhaps that it why I waited until I had illustrated the others before tackling this mode. How do you represent neutral? But when I started thinking about that, I flashed to a study about what people find to be a beautiful painting. It turns out, that across all cultures there are commonalities in what constitutes such a painting. This painting would include the following elements: a water source, an open field, a path and the color blue. It was pointed out, that basically, the image would include what was needed to sustain human life: water, arable land, breathable air and the suggestion that humans had been there (path).

    The Ionian Mode represents abundant and happy life and the contentment of home. And that explains why the other modes exist; we can never leave well enough alone!