Light makes all the difference

My husband and I are usually on different schedules – he’s a morning person and loves to get up early and charge into the activities of his day. On the other hand, I’m a night person; typically getting my “second wind” about 7 p.m. and then working on projects late into the night. However, this routine has changed dramatically with Daylight Savings Time. Now, most mornings, I’m up as soon as the first light comes in the window. And a few days ago, I was actually up in time to see the sunrise! This is astonishing – even to me – but it has everything to do with the light.

In a recent drawing class, the instructor said that we can’t have light without shadows. And it is in the creating of deeper shadows, that we become more aware of the light. Isn’t that amazing? This is especially true when working with watercolors where there is no pure white color. The white or light spaces in a watercolor painting are intentional and have to be well thought out ahead of time by the artist. I’ve thought about this statement so often, and in my art, I’m more conscious of the tremendous role shadows play in creating light as well as depth and balance.

This week, my painting is all about light. Celtic Sunset – 11”x15” Watercolor, portrays the sun setting on the Wild Atlantic Way, a rugged driving route along the west coast of Ireland.