I took a painting class once, in college. It was when I was at Bennington. This was an “Introduction to Painting” class and the other students, like myself, were not art majors and had little previous experience drawing or painting. The teacher wanted us to learn about light. She started us working with charcoal on rough white drawing paper. We were to draw trees with special attention to shadows and light. She made us notice the way the bark was rough and mottled with shades of gray and brown on the side where the sun fell upon it, but was just a flat black surface on the shaded side. She set up still-life arrangements in the studio. A clear vase, a couple of green pears, a white bowl on a bunched-up red velvety cloth draped across a table. She shone a light on the tableau and had us just use charcoal and chalk to draw the scene. She wanted us to notice the shapes and patterns, but most of all she wanted us to be aware of light. It seemed to be the most important, the most fundamental thing in painting.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I love the unique brilliance of winter light and have been trying to capture it in photographs. My hope is that I can use the photos to help me with some scenes I’ve been working on. I’ve found that my favorite passages in books involve the artful depiction of shadow and light. I love when a writer uses light skillfully to pull us into a scene. Here is an example of a beautiful use of color and pattern and light from a short story by John Updike called “After the Storm.”
“The room was radiant. Beyond the white mullions and the curtains of dotted swiss, pinned back with metal flowers painted white, the sky was undiluted blue. I thought, this morning has never occurred before, and I jubilantly felt myself to be on the prow of a ship cleaving the skyey ocean of time.”
Now, brace yourself for something quite incredible. This is one of the last paragraphs in the story and it shows why Updike is considered a true master of literature. The story, by the way, is told from the perspective of a young boy who is now in bed with a fever. I can’t help but believe it’s an autobiographical rendering of the birth of the author’s impulse to absorb beauty and nature and light in order to reproduce it later, with words.
“I turned my head away and looked through the window. In time, my father appeared in this window, an erect figure dark against the snow. His posture made no concession to the pull underfoot; upright he waded out through our yard and past the mailbox and up the hill until he was lost to my sight behind the trees of our orchard. The trees took white on their sun side. The two telephone wires diagonally cut the blank blue of the sky. The bare stone wall was a scumble of umber; my father’s footsteps thumbs of white in white. I knew what this scene was – a patch of Pennsylvania in 1947 – and yet I did not know, was in my softly fevered state mindlessly soaked in a rectangle of colored light. I burned to paint it, just like that, in its puzzle of glory; it came upon me that I must go to Nature disarmed of perspective and stretch myself like a large transparent canvas upon her in the hope that, my submission being perfect, the imprint of a beautiful and useful truth would be taken.”
The idea of the author being perfectly submissive to the scene, being transparent. What a lesson for me.
While typing this, my Word program protested the use of the words “skyey” and “scumble.” These aren’t words, declared Microsoft Word.
Tell that to John Updike, Word!.
What could better describe a stonewall in winter than a “scumble of umber?”
Here are some photos I took yesterday in the late afternoon, when there were a great many shadows.
The colors of nature are so incredibly revealing, if one pays attention. When I started painting classes 3 years ago – our first lesson was landscapes. I learned to really NOTICE the colors, shadows, highlights and textures that make up the simplest scene. As the sun and clouds move, all those change as the seconds go by. Like a kaleidoscope of color.
I find that as I drive around during the day – I am easily drawn into taking notice of those minute details. Makes the drive so much more pleasurable.
Photography is described as painting with light. You are wonderfull blessed to have an eye for the scenes. Yours are not just random snapshots – they are scenes that tell a story and tap into the emotions of the viewer.
That is truly a gift!
Hi Ann,
We don’t get much sun in the winter here in Michigan, so it’s been a nice treat this past week to break out the sunglasses. I don’t know how to describe it because I’m not much of a writer, but in the evening in the summertime the sun seems to shine across our backyards, sneaking between the houses and just highlighting the upper level of the homes and the tops of the trees. It’s beautiful. I almost never see it in the winter, but I’ve been able to enjoy it twice in the past week. I think the lack of sun in the winter in MI bothers me more than the cold and the snow!
Wow…the Updike quote AND the photos are all breath-taking and evoke such a peaceful feeling. I need that today (this week/this month)!! Thank you!!!!
OK…truthfully, some may not understand why I think barns and branches are “breath-taking”, lol. It’s the “breath-taking” that coincides with the peaceful feeling…that moment when you pause just before sighing…
The pictures are very, very similar to where I grew up. I used to roam the woods around the house for hours on end…sometime just to play, other times to “find myself”. That last photo took me back instantly. I can almost smell the air — wonderful!!
Ann, I honestly think you have a calling to be a English Lit/Poetry teacher, I know I am learning something from you. I have even purchased a book of poems. Love the pictures you take of the roads there in New England, I can see the early settlers roaming down the lanes in my minds eye. Tulips have been sighted in Chicago just starting to peek through the earth’s surface.
VERY NICE!
: )
Great blog entry and pictures. As a side note, the March issue of Conde Nast Traveler has a good article on northwestern Connecticut, including Litchfield county. There are some great shops and restaurants listed… can’t wait to check them out. Your whole area of the state looks beautiful!
Ann you could easily release a book of your photos.as if your not busy enough lol.thanks also for the link on books but as i have found out i am not “mature” enough for a card yet lol I am also a fan of charcoal sketches when my marriage ended my oldest son was in anger managment he was asked to sketch a scene he chose a creek running off the page, hanging over the creek were branches from leaveless trees surrounded by snow with agrey sky.I still hang this sketch in my home as it still warms me.My parents are looking for either of your books for me now.So fingers crossed, soon keep smileing cheryl mcleod
Ann..your photos are beautiful….and I agree about the English professor..you truly have a wonderful talent and I am learning alot too…When I look at you pictures I feel very calm.. I love the first one of the barn…Thanks for sharing…
Ann; Did not want to forget to mention this – I am a mainlining addict for “Rescue Me”. Saw some promos. The promo of the boys walking through the streets – sort of a take off of the Stones video “Love is Strong” ???????????????????
Message to Denis: That show sits right on the edge – thats why its SO good.
I very much like the photos. The first one not so much because of the subject but because I have memories as a child staring at how the light would constantly change on an object as the sun was going down – that it will never be the same way twice and what would look cheery and uplifting one minute did indeed shift to another mode or mood. I especially liked the second photo, intricate, morose, beautiful – so many colors and shading. I always had this thing for drawing – particularly portraits. In my teens and 20′s I loved doing portraits in charcoal. It was like color to me in the way that there were so many darks/lights, sides, tops, dimensions and oh, the mood and aura it can present.
Are you working with a 35mm digital or a 35mm alone?? Regardless – you have a great eye and thats the hardest part.
Thanks for all the great comments everybody. You all see the world like writers and I love hearing your reactions to my photos and hearing about the places you live..
So glad to hear the Rescue Me promos are running. Yes, the are meant to be like that great Stones video. I wish somebody would put it one YouTube so I can post it here. It’s so great.
Ann – you are a teacher to a lot of us. I have picked up reading again, after years of being too busy, and poetry is a whole adventure, especially the YOU TUBE videos..to hear the authors quote their works – it’s so powerful…
Thank you for sharing your love of lit and love of life!
Oh – it was in the high 80s today – and I bathed my little horses!
Great pictures again…just love seeing the sky and sunlight through the trees, no matter the season. And, of course, you can’t beat Updike.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65lBSFh4O6s
The above link is to a youtube clip of the latest Rescue Me promo…can hardly wait until April 7th!
I’m new to your blog Ann. I accidentally ran across it while searching for Rescue Me info…and I’m so glad that I did! I’ve read through much of it today; watched the interviews of you and Denis that you posted; thoroughly ENJOYED your beautiful photographs, especially the winter scenes and your dogs. I loved your dog stories and pics and beg you to please keep them in your blog
Not only are the winter scenes very beautiful, they are so serene and calming.
Please feel free to stop reading at this point and remove the following before posting this as I will now provide some background on me boring).
I was born and raised in southern Wisconsin; both my parents came from the “old country” (Poland and Germany) right after WWII…made for a very interesting childhood; have been married for 30 some years; have a daughter and 2 grand kids who live in Texas; and as a result, our 2 Golden Retriever’s, Casey and Annie, are spoiled rotten.
My husband and I are huge Denis Leary fans; have been ever since we saw his “No Cure for Cancer” show years ago; we were VERY disappointed when “The Job” was cancelled. I just ordered both of your books and Denis’ book from amazon.com…can’t wait to read them all!
I’m an accountant at city hall (snore) and am currently working on a master’s degree…why, I don’t know. Before being an accountant, I was blue collar…worked at Frito-Lay for 15 years…went back to school in the mid-late 90′s (was the old lady at 39). LOVE the Dog Whisperer, HATE the circus and zoos.
I look forward to reading your blog. Thanks so much for sharing! I find your blog very enjoyable, funny, smart, (like you) and I think you’re very generous for taking the time to do this! You’re a beautiful lady, both inside and out