Night time

One night at the end of last week both Dean and I were awakened by a clap of thunder. No, not thunder - THUNDER. A barrage of thunderclaps - majestic, booming, rolling, rumbling, percussive, accompanied by flashes of lightening. A fireworks show in the middle of the night. I lay there and listened in awe then drifted back into sleep.

I like the night. I like to go walking at night, although I don't wait until the middle of the night but am usually home by 9:30 or so and I only walk around our neighborhood where all is familiar to me. Being outside at night is different from being there during the day. Don't get me wrong, I like to be outside in the sun also, but the night has a different tempo which seems to suit my own  slow tempo and heartbeat. It feels to me alone but not lonely. People are all around, they are just in their houses, doing dishes, watching TV, getting kids ready for bed, finishing up the chores that never end, doing quiet things, slower things, homey things.

I sometimes paint at night but daytime is really better for that. The colors aren't so easy to get wrong during the day. Artificial light, even at its best, is not ,after all, natural and it changes the way we perceive colors unless you work very hard to have a balanced and near-natural set up. I don't.

So here is what I have been working on. The shady side of the street across from our church. I am not sure that it is finished, but it might be. 5'x7', oil on panel. I have done a tiny bit of work since this photo was made, but the changes are very slight. 

It is grey and rainy here. We still need rain so I welcome it, but the grey gets old very quickly when it is also quite cool. 

All is (rainy and)well, and all will be well. 
XOXOXO, 
Caroline

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