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| month, 1999: oil on canvas: 24" x 18" |
Imagine living as a child in your parent's castel, in a land far away.Ê And as you approach adolescence, you begin to look out, trying to see beyond the hills and walls that surround you.Ê And perhaps, you send your spirit out on the wings of the dragon, to soar high and see the world for you.Ê For you are about to dawn onto the world as an individual in your own right, to take your place in humanity.
Technically, this painting takes place on the shadow side of the tower, save the dragon's head.Ê I assumed the time to be about 9:00 AM in the middle of summer, so the sun would not be too high up, but it would be bright.Ê On the shadow side of the tower, it's lit by the skylight, which is bold and blue.Ê But the warm sunlight reflects off things, brining a bit of warmth where it can.Ê So the dragon's head and neck, catching the sun, are bright and warm, as is the side of the tower as it arcs around toward the sun.
After this photograph was taken, I decided that the dragon's head could be made a lot brighter, and the tower walls a bit warmer.Ê Then, it occurred to me that the nearby hills were too cool and dark.Ê So I spent another ten hours "improving" the painting.Ê I'll replace this shot when I redo my photos this spring.
Last updated on Friday, December 21, 2001