#18 – Bercée par la lumière
July 2015
Acrylic on canvas (1m x 1m)

This painting carries a lot of meaning to me. I have chosen it as the icon of my website and as the flyer, the first picture that I give to people to introduce my art work. “Bercée par la lumière” embodies the essence of my paintings to date.

When, in November 2015, I had the courage to ask an acquaintance of mine, a serious art collector, if he could have a look at my paintings to give me some feedback, he asked me to think about what the essence of my art work was. I was taken aback by this question as it had never occurred to me to think that way about what I had been doing since January 2015.

What is the essence of my art?

I found it difficult to answer. My paintings come through me, intuitively, without planning them. I feel mostly inspired by nature, organic shapes… What else?…

So I started to look at all my paintings with this question at the back of my mind until it became clear. What the commonality of all my paintings is, the essence that comes through…

Light

When I was observing my paintings with that question in mind, the answer came to me as I looked at this particular painting “Bercée par la lumière”. This literally means “Rocked by the light” – rocked like a baby, to whom someone sings a soft lullaby. I was so touched to realise that. I’ve felt this from the moment that I’ve been aware of a gentle light. Calm and safe. Surrounded by a peaceful sense of being home.

Light is at the core of my life and has been as far as I can remember. Light never stops fascinating me, in all its forms. Bright rays of sun, strong whites, yellows or oranges and reds, a fire in the fireplace, the reminiscence of sunsets, sunlight almost blinding against water, reflecting in drops of rain or beads of morning dew, filtering through leaves in the forest or piercing in beams through clouds.

The other side of light: shadows. Darkness. Obscurity.

Night… and the lights at night: a candle, casting its own shadows. A torch. The headlights of a car. A lighthouse. Moonlight. Stars. Then dawn. Sunrise giving the world a new chance, a new day. Ever changing light.

This painting has a special place in my home, in my bedroom, just above my bed. It brings me peace, a gentle feeling of being bathed in light, safe and calm. And I love to immerse myself in it, getting lost in the gentle hues that it brings, its depth, the shadows and contrasts.

I painted this canvas in two sessions. The first layer was extremely colourful and contrasted, almost like an equatorial jungle in orange, blue, red, green and yellow – that first particular layer felt so vibrant, wild and alive… Then, something drew me to tone it down by washing over it with some creamy green, working with rags and chopsticks to bring some texture to the canvas and let the first layer’s brightness shine through. I also reached out for my favourite magenta and a dark shade of blue to bring another contrast to the fore.

I recall feeling a sense of peace putting down my tools. And magically, the light appeared from the top left corner of the canvas, highlighting the silhouettes of underwater plants, vibrant and silent at once. Gently rocked by the light.

Bercée par la lumière.

*** Original in artist’s private collection. Available as limited edition print series of only 25 prints) ***