Creativity and the Use of Light

This fall, the Artists Council in Palm Desert, California, posed the question “How does light factor into your creative expression?” I submitted a large oil painting of a swimming pool filled with swimmers having a party in an enclosed space in Palm Springs. I find there is a paradoxical quality to the backyards of Coachella Valley. The spaces have high walls more often than not and the sense of being constricted and hemmed in can feel oppressive at times. And yet within these same walls there is a lot of color and movement, keeping the real word at bay in a sense to be free. I chose dusk as my time of day as I am fascinated by the effect of the setting sun, which you can observe obscured through tall palm trees and reflected in the pool area.