“Mood Indigo” (2017)
by Barbara Kacicek (1957-)
12 x 6 in., oil on canvas on panel
Coppola Collection

A stunningly moody painting by Barbara Kacicek, in a general subject area that her daughter, Oriana, usually paints (see, e.g., “Sea Slice ii“).

As often happens, I got to name this one.

“Mood Indigo” is almost self-explanatory when you look at this painting, but the name was also inspired by two sources.

First, Billy Joel used “mood indigo” as a parenthetical phrase in the title song from his 1989 album Storm Front.

“There’s a storm front coming (mood indigo)…”

Second, I am sure, given Joel’s connection to jazz and classic 20th century music, his use was an intentional nod to the great and often-covered tune by this name (Mood Indigo), which originally came from Duke Ellington (1930):

A little history, here.
The Duke on the instrumental, here.
Lady Ella on the lyric, in 1957, here.
And Annie Lenox, here.