Finished Underpainting

I have finished the underpainting. It took much longer than I had hoped, but I am quite satisfied with it, as it stands. Working on the objects, the glass, the carton, you become so close to them. They begin to propel the message of the painting, in their detail and stature. Adding the shades and shadows in the background I found a whole new consideration. Pushing soft shadows up against the well postured carton feels to me like a dilemma, or something enigmatic. Either way, there is an energy there that I am drawn to.

John Muir author and naturalist, wrote the book Yosemite in 1912. Through a collection of travel writing called The Tao of Travel by Paul Theroux, I stumbled upon Muir's thoughts about light as it hit a canyon, "...it seemed not clothed in light, but wholly composed of it...".

I believe there are hundreds of moments like this each day. Light can take the place of the object and becomes what it is that we are looking at, instead of that which it illuminates.  

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Thoughts About Shadows

When I was working on the shadow cast onto the sink from the red tin, I was really focussed on making sure that the depth of the shadow was properly conveyed. Because I only have the photograph of the sink that was taken years ago, in Australia, I took to my house to find other sources to research.

My home has wonderful light. It is one of the things I adore the most about it. The sun was starting to fall as I was looking for shadows to watch. I looked over and saw the window and curtain casting onto the wall. I learned a lot from considering the tones in the blanket and the many layers involved. With shadows, there is an element of perspective, which is something I find very interesting.

Shadows cast in colour too. The green from this vase on the side of my sink has so much energy. Understanding these small details help me to get a more realistic dimension to my work.

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