Vision-Night Lights

Night Lights 8.5" x 11 " Acrylic on watercolor paper

Today's painting is a composite of various lights as I see them outside at night.

The big starbursts are each actually a single light. One radiated cool light with blues and soft yellow, the other gave off a warm light with reds, yellows, and oranges.

In the upper right, there appears to be three circular shapes. That is the way I see the moon- as three overlapping moons.

The red hooks in the lower left hand corner are tail lights of a car in front of us as I was riding in a car.

The remaining shapes are security lights as I see them from my back door. These are in neighboring yards. The swash of orange is the glow of lights from Texas A&M.

Blinking didn't make them change, and they still look this way months later. The question still nagged at me-did I need glasses, or was it cataracts that would require surgery and a lot of money.

I used acrylics on 140 pound watercolor paper to do "Night Lights". To make the tiny marks in the burtst of light, I used a toothpick. The rest is brushwork.

It is more natural for me to work very large, but I had a block of watercolor paper that I had been wanting to use for a while, so I used that for most of my paintings in this series. I feel restricted and tight when I work small. As I work, I get tighter and tighter, which is actually more tiring and not as satisfying.

For me, if I start with a large piece of paper, or canvas, with a large chunk of compressed charcoal or a big brush, I can work large and free, and, as I work, my work gets even larger and more free. I could fill a wall easily, and gain a lot of energy at the same time. Part of that could be because I am working with a different area of my brain, allowing the tired part to rest. It does help things like headaches and tensio-for me, at least.

But, I often use a clipboard that has a storage space beneath the surface, to carry around with me and sketch as I have time. That works out better than sketchbooks, I have found, because my paper doesn't get bent or worn, and I also have room for my pencils, pens, eraser, and sharpener. I used that clipboard when I was teaching and continue to use it today. A tote bag, with my purse, a travel set of watercolors and a film container for water, and I am in business, ready to entertain myself anywhere.

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