A Midsummer's Respite

This week we chose to "hide out" just a bit from the helter skelter summer dance. The week before last, I started a major interior piece to give us a respite from the sun and the clamor of painting with the moving light, wind, back and forth clouds, and even impending rain showers. I thought that, being so clever, I would also design a second painting that would allow us to work longer on the days we worked on a morning painting outdoors without having to be embroiled in a duel with the sun. However, as you can see below, I created an indoor/outdoor interior that included a clear view of the landscape through an open window. Clever, right? I could have the best of both worlds, painting subtle indoor lighting with a beautiful figure and still life set up while taking advantage of the brilliant summer views just outside our windows. But, as the law of unintended consequences snuck through the crack, it soon became apparent that I shackled myself to the same seasonal rhythm as outdoor painting, since the "outdoor" aspect of the painting has a significant impact on the look and feel of the "indoor" portion. So I accepted the inevitable, painting only on the painting when the conditions were right, i.e., it was sunny outside. Long story short, we spent much of the week finishing this painting, "Aimee Reading Near an Open Window," during the days that the sun was shining outdoors. Below is the painting with a link to the details. I can tell you that I really love painting interiors because it gives me a chance to carefully study and render challenging subjects/objects like the chair and the book on the table, not to mention balancing a subject lit from multiple light sources, all with different intensity and temperature. A challenging yet satisfying endeavor!

"Aimee Reading Near an Open Window"

Have a wonderful week and continue to enjoy the remainder of summer (if you live in the Northern Hemisphere). See you next week!