Life in the Shawdows

I’m obsessed with the shadows. When I paint, my favorite parts are the shadows. I love the color that happens in them. I love the shape shadows give objects, the way light or absence of light changes the colors. It’s the quiet in the shadows the accentuates the painting. The impressionists talk about painting “the light” showing the time of day like in Monet’s work or in the summer light of the red heads in Renoir’s work. For me, its the shadow that holds the most interest. I love telling the story the paint is telling in the shadow with its absence of light in the shadows.

Have you ever really looked at shadow. One would think it’s just gray. It’s not! It’s tones of blue, purple, darker greens and muted reds and yellows. The shadow, to me, gives a place for the eye to rest, a place to breathe. A place to hold the light. The shadow defines what the subject is, and how it’s perceived. Life in the shadows is complicated, lots going on, it’s not just one solid gray blank mass, but a complicated combination of colors. The shadow can show off the important parts of the painting or be the most important part showing the contrast of dark and light.

And isn’t that true about life…The big splash, the huge, reported success the stardom, all comes to pass because of all the work that is done in the shadows, behind the scenes. The hard work is not done out in the open for all to see but done behind closed doors in the shadows. The shadows are complicated involved, moving. Success and stardom are fleeting but the shadows linger on to support or hinder future success.

So I celebrate Shadows. I love the colors, the quiet and the hard work done in the Shadows that makes a great painting and great life.