Refining the Capture of Light

When I stroll through my garden, I often come across a certain kind of light that stops me in my tracks- holds me captive. I want to soak it in. And then I’m struck with wanting to keep it, to transfer the experience to canvas. I want to share it. It feels like there is some message on the tip of the contrast between light and dark, and I need to capture it, like a revelatory dream whose fleeting memory you rush to write down so you don’t forget. I shot these lovely spring bloomers earlier this year and ran across it recently in my photo collection.

When I paint, I find it difficult not to get overly involved in the minute details. I have to remind myself that they don’t matter. With this piece, I’ve tasked myself with considering the things that are important: the deep darks and the intense lights. I started with sketching it all out with acrylic wash, then laying down the darkest darks in the background foliage, then adding the hot highlights.

I implement the same process with the petals.

Next, I do the in-between colors, the bridge between light and dark. This is the part where I can get lost.

Finally, I let myself loose with finishing the details. I think perhaps a lot of the final work isn’t as important, but I relish getting in there to refine the petal shapes and studying all the parts of the flower. I had fun with the highlights of the stamen and stigma, and the shadows they created.

I still long to be looser with my painting, to say more with fewer strokes, but I’m pretty happy with this piece: Two Pink Peonies in Morning Sun.