Julie Simmons Studio Shadows
Studio Shadows is a painting done in a flourish to
beat the fast-fading light of the day. I had been out
plein air painting and on returning home found a
subject right outside my door. It was painted
without much analysis, almost instinctively because
the shadows were moving fast as they do on a
summer evening.
Suddenly the familiar will present itself one day
in a new light, and the desire to capture that
particular moment becomes paramount.
Consequently painting within my garden has
become a joy – simple subjects portrayed quickly
and one hopes with sensitivity.
Having said that, it is important that I feel a
strong sense of urgency and an emotional
connection, which compels me to capture that
elusive light. After all, this is what we artists do.
We paint light!
But without the lovely, lush strong darks it
loses its impact. It is all about balance: light/dark,
warm/cool, large and small shapes, etc.
My background is in commercial and finished
art with a strong emphasis on drawing, and I have to
be mindful of not becoming too controlled in my
painting. This is why it seemed natural to me to
paint in watercolour when I began my art practice.
To this I added pastel, charcoal and more recently
oil, which is the medium used in this piece.
When painting outdoors you do learn to work
fast and capture the essentials, the thing that drew
you to that subject – which is undoubtedly the way
the light falls upon it. Often it is the bare bones you
manage to catch, but it could be enough to develop
into a larger work in the studio.
www.juliesimmonsfineart.com