Still Life Shadows

still life |ˈstɪl ˌlaɪf| noun (pl. still lifes |ˌlīfs| ) a painting or drawing of an arrangement of objects, typically including fruit and flowers and objects contrasting with these in texture, such as bowls and glassware.• still life as a genre of painting or drawing.

Still Life Shadow 1, 2016

shadow

A shadow is a space where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, or reverse projection of the object blocking the light.

A point source of light casts only a simple shadow, called an "umbra". For a non-point or "extended" source of light, the shadow is divided into the umbra, penumbra and antumbra. The wider the light source, the more blurred the shadow becomes. If two penumbras overlap, the shadows appear to attract and merge. This is known as the Shadow Blister Effect.

The outlines of the shadow zones can be found by tracing the rays of light emitted by the outermost regions of the extended light source. The umbra region does not receive any direct light from any part of the light source, and is the darkest. A viewer located in the umbra region cannot directly see any part of the light source.

By contrast, the penumbra is illuminated by some parts of the light source, giving it an intermediate level of light intensity. A viewer located in the penumbra region will see the light source, but it is partially blocked by the object casting the shadow.

If there are multiple light sources, there will be multiple shadows, with overlapping parts darker, and various combinations of brightnesses or even colors. The more diffuse the lighting becomes, the softer and more indistinct the shadow outlines become, until they disappear. The lighting of an overcast sky produces few visible shadows.

The absence of diffusing atmospheric effects in the vacuum of outer space produces shadows that are stark and sharply delineated by high-contrast boundaries between high and dark.

For a person or object touching the surface where the shadow is projected (e.g. a person standing on the ground, or a pole in the ground) the multiple shadows converge at the point of contact.

A shadow shows, apart from distortion, the same image as the silhouette when looking at the object from the sun-side, hence the mirror imageof the silhouette seen from the other side.

[Source: From the dictionary on my computer]

Still Life Shadow 3, 2016

Still Life Shadow 4, 2016

Scaffold Drawings

Every night the scaffold makes new drawings on the kitchen walls and ceiling.

Scaffold drawing 1, 2016

Scaffold drawing, 3 2016

Scaffold drawing 2, 2016

Scaffold drawing 4, 2016

Found Shadows

We walked into the bakery the other day and these striped shadows were waiting for us.. Thanks Therese for loaning me your phone to take the photos.

looking up 1, at the bakery, 2015

looking up 2, at the bakery, 2015

looking up 3, at the bakery, 2015

Yesterday's Finds

It's been so gorgeous that I've been spending all my time in the garden, or recovering from being in the garden. The studio is neglected; I just want to be outside in the lush growing green and clear light. It's all happening so quickly this year. Slow down time.

Found Hydranga flower, left over from last year, 2015

Shadows found as I walked into the house last night, 2015

Hmmmm, another thumb shot? 2015

Yesterday's Light

After a good day in the garden, surrounded by rampant growth and the scent of apple blossoms, we caught up on a few more episodes of "The West Wing", while out of the corner of my eye I saw this light.

Yesterday's Light 1, 2015

Yesterday's Light 2, 2015

Yesterday's Light 3, 2015

Yesterday's Light 4, 2015

Sometimes It Works

It seems to me that with all experiments some seem to work and some don't, and it's not always obvious which is which.

casting shadows with colour, 2014

lines of colour, 2014

the studio floor , 2014

Prairie Dreaming [Again]

We sit and and drink our coffee every morning watching the sun move further and further across the floor and wall. The shadows are long and the light reaches almost to the middle of the room. I see new shapes and lines. Places that had been in the dark for the last few months are illuminated. I get the camera and now I am back in the prairies; in that enormous space, with it's thin ribbon of land.

panorama 4a, 2014

panorama 2, 2014

More Chairs

Chairs seem to be haunting me. Not only is the studio, well actually the hallway, but let's not quibble; full of chairs for The Chair Project, I realized that I can't stop taking photos of chair shadows. Jung would love me. The early morning spring light is wonderful and draws on the walls and furniture; and if there is anything in her way she bounces about casting layers of shadows. The black and white world of winter is retreating into the woods; green, brown and magenta are appearing and I expect more color will start to appear in my work. Mind you, I've been wrong before.

Gone, 2012

Steel and Shadow

Well, this is another in the continuing series of "The Helvetica Variations".  I picked up the laser cut steel letters today, disappointed to find out the they had not processed the order correctly and had discarded the negative shapes. They are cutting more, but I am thrilled with the positive shapes and had to play. Steel shadows today, imprints in snow tomorrow. With luck next week the whole thing; together; in one place. Keep your fingers crossed.

Shadow variation

Steel letters with shadow

1st shot on the kitchen counter, better get some white paper, but great shadows and J.'s hand holding them

Sleeping In

Lying in bed, watching the light and shadow move across the floor, feeling lazy and languid, happy to bathe in this late summer light; knowing I should get up but waiting until I smell the coffee. A wonderful feel of fullness, of contentment of thanks and gratefulness. Thrilled with the show with so many friends there and wonderful feedback. A happy camper.  Thanks all.

Watching

Shimmering Pond

I am loving using this grid idea. It's seductive and addictive and playful. So here are photos of the pond. It's almost my favorite time for the pond, the only thing is it's to cold to swim.

Shimmering pond

Morning Shadows

The light has been amazing these last few mornings......quiet and steady, without the exuberance of early summer. We are definitely moving towards fall. As I walked upstairs to photograph J. sleeping these shadows at the top of the stairs caught my eye and made me think of the tree cast I did last year and the photo of mushrooms ......don't ask me why