"Dark Time" - that's what a friend called daylight saving time in a Freudian slip, as we switched to winter time a few days ago. Indeed, it feels as though darkness has suddenly taken over our lives.
Years ago, this transition would cast me into a gloomy mood, and I would confidently declare myself a "summer person." Over the years, I discovered that I also love winter (when I'm not freezing), and certainly the transitional seasons. Today I understand that what I truly love is the very presence of change.
In painting too, I experience these transitions between light and darkness. Sometimes they're gradual, and sometimes - like this week's switch to winter time - they're harsh, or more significant.
Usually, we start with a white canvas and gradually darken it. With watercolors, this is a one-way path with no turning back. I don't like having no way back. Acrylic paints are much more tolerant and allow painting light over dark, which is one of the reasons I love them so much. Still, the painting will end up darker than the white we started with.
Many find the color black (absolute darkness) threatening and avoid using it. I find it has something dramatic and powerful about it, and I love using it (although I usually add other pigments to it as well).
In my view, one of the measures of freedom in painting is the ability to transition from light to dark (and vice versa) in a decisive way, without apology or compromise.
Have you noticed which spot first draws the eye when looking at an artwork?
If there is such a spot, it will be where the lightest and darkest parts of the painting meet. That's where the change is most significant. Usually, this is the most powerful place in the painting. Perhaps that's why it takes a measure of courage to create this meeting point, and for that, freedom is required.
For those who find this challenging, you can paint just in black and white (or any other contrasting shades), and although you can create at least 50 shades of gray with them 😊, it will be easier to create a dramatic meeting between black and white.
I've already mentioned that I love changes, and in painting, I believe they're what make it interesting. Therefore, it's worth trying any method that allows us to create these changes in our painting.
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