Observation of Nature
Light and Shadow,
Opus One, San Juan Batista 2004, oil on canvas
mounted on board, (8x10)
by Stefan Baumann
When
I paint on location, I select a subject on the basis of
composition and fate. I don't spend much time fussing
over my options, but rather I focus on what is before
me, and try to alter my spatial relation to it, to manifest
the best composition possible.
In Light and Shadow, Opus One, I focus
upon the cast shadows of a winter sycamore onto one of
the arches at the Mission of San Juan Bautista. The warm
sunlight illuminates the stucco as the shadows magically
dance upon the structure. The texture of the walls and
the adobe brick offer dynamic contrast to the subtle lines
of the shadows.
Cast shadows are not a constant shade, but rather a subtle
gradient from the center of the shadow itself. They get
progressively lighter as they reach the key light. On
this location I could clearly delineate the darkest part
of the shadow on the stucco, so I considered that in my
palette. Within the shadow are complimentary colors of
the primary: The yellow afternoon light striking the stucco,
is complimented with tones of purple in the shadow. This
relation creates the shadow itself; the center of the
shadow has more purple than the outer edge of the shadow.
The same premise is applied to light; the brightest area
of an illuminated subject, is always at the center of
the light.
My central focal point is the top of the arch. To direct
my viewer's attention, I progressively altered the color
temperature of the door beneath the arch, adding reflected
sky blue tones to the bottom of the door, gradually becoming
more warm as the reflected blue light lessens in intensity.
The façade of the arch gets the direct, warm light,
so the arch itself pops out of my composition. This is
the paradox: The deeper you get into a shadow (because
of the absence of blue reflected light) the warmer the
innate color temperature becomes. This is why the bottom
of the door is cooler and brighter, but progressively
becomes darker, but warm in tone as we get deep into the
shadow at the top of the door.
