A Redwood forest can be a cool and dark place even on a sunny day. So when the light singles out a small tree on the forest floor, it dazzles you with the contrast and captures your full attention. I recently found a very small Redwood tree that stood out and captured my attention because it was bathed in a beautiful but fleeting light. I did capture the scene in a photo and was able to finish the painting even though the light had moved on before I actually started to paint.
The beauty of such a scene takes your mind to higher thoughts. Mine did turn to the symbolism of light. I thought the Hindu festival of Divali, which is the triumph of knowledge (light) over ignorance (darkness). I also thought of Easter. In Easter, believers turn to Jesus as the Light of the World. In China people celebrate the lantern festival on the first full moon of the lunar year which is in February each year. The Lantern Festival began as a celebration in honor of Gautama Buddha (which means enlightened one) and has grown to celebrate the power of family.
While painting I try and have a path for the light to travel in my painting. I am usually not thinking of it in its spiritual sense. But one thing I have noticed is that the lighter areas show up more clearly if they are standing in contrast to some dark. I do take considerable time to figure out where to place the darks. When you are out in the field the light changes frequently so you have to make up your own light or remember a lighted scene that captured your imagination.
The light in the Redwoods reminds you of the power of light to reveal and conceal. It’s very similar to how we light up areas in our minds by putting our attention on that area. In painting, the path you make for the light can remind you that you create the light in your own life through the simple act of attention. The next time you paint, think about the light areas and dark areas and what they are revealing to your viewer.