Skull Study II, Charcoal
Sara completed her second painting. In amongst the learning was a powerful area of the painting reserved for masters. Simple. Reflected light on a shoulder. Still, the subtle play of light that nested there, took my breath away. I had felt this stir of emotion before when I came face to face with the 1606 original St. Cecelia by Guido Reni at the Getty in 2008. Beauty. Sensitivity. Reverence. The power of light.
I am no different than most when it comes to my reaction to light. If the source comes from above, it inspires me, and if the model is looking in that general direction, all the better. After all, every day of my life, I have witnessed the world being lit from above. It just seems natural to assume that all life comes from that direction. Perhaps my ancestors passed along the sun worship gene to me, backed by the belief that all good things come from above.
The more I study light, the more improved my work becomes. Although oftentimes there is need to work from a photograph, I much prefer working from life. It is the language of light that is missing in a photograph. The life force of the subject has taken a sabbatical. This life force, created purely from the addition of light, is the most powerful, diverse, and least expensive tool I have at my disposal.
I am already overwhelmed by the nuances of light. Add a model to the mix and I go into sensory overload. Every face, no matter how average, in that moment becomes the most beautiful expression on the planet. The way light wraps around and bounces from one curve to the next becomes the most enthralling dance performance I have seen. I become so entranced that I loose all knowledge of learning and become a slave to the beauty in front of me. After that happens, I become worthless as an artist. If it weren’t for still life setups I would be incapable of learning a thing. Form and light have become my formula for sane artistry.
Follow along. Stand in the light.
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Tags: Guido Reni, skulll study, St. Cecelia
June 3, 2010 at 5:35 pm |
red or yellow or green or blue –arn’t they just the coolest. Back home again—–Dorothy
June 6, 2010 at 11:25 pm |
Even when there seems to be no light there is light. It travels and winds itself around so many things even in a photograph. It would not be a photograph without the light, which is what I read into what you say about light being “diverse”. All I’m saying is ….don’t miss the extraordinary beauty an depth that light brings in all art forms.