Studio #21: South & West Walls

I feel most myself in my studio.  When I walk up two flights of stairs to the third floor, unlock my door and step inside, I let down.  I live across the street in a small condo, and while at home, which is also a place where I live with my art, I feel this ongoing pressure to clean up, or cook, or do wash, check emails, watch TV, etc..  In the studio, I sweep once in awhile, I take out the trash, or I go through my paints and discard the tubes that have dried up--but mostly, I create.

The pictures are of the South and West Wall of my studio. Yes, light comes in from the south.  South light for a painter is difficult, as it changes quickly, moving around the room and the spot of light you see, could fall on my canvas, which doesn't work.

North light is the ideal.   Plus, with bright light the eye, which is like a camera light meter, closes its aperture.  Then the lights and darks of the painting get skewed--because I can't see the values as well.  There are corrections that I can make in lighting.  One is, hang rice-paper shades on the windows.  I'll be hunting some down soon--I heard they have them a Home Depot.

The painting on the easel, Reflection at Padden Creek,  is from a new series: Reflections through the Seasons.  The one on the shelf, Skunk Cabbage, is also in the series. I've taken a number of photos on my Mt. Baker hikes to use as research for this series.  I'm excited and challenged by the task of capturing light on the surface of water, what is beneath the surface, and the object being reflected.  Very much fun and just like life, don't you think?