Meet My Painting: 'Day Dreaming'
Each painting has a personality and a life of its own. I’m here to introduce you to one of my favorites!
We all dream of somewhere else. Whether it’s somewhere we’ve been, or somewhere we frequently return to, where we are now often isn’t where we want to be. Thankfully, paintings like ‘Day Dreaming’ can take us there as soon as we lay eyes on it. This seems to be a quintessential “Elizabeth” painting for a few reasons: the wide and narrow format, the big sky, and the loose interpretation of the land. There is texture and depth in the sky that signify movement and the fleeting nature of the light in this moment. The subtle shifts in color that add visual interest and depth to the sky, from a cobalt blue to a turquoise-y teal, each layer building upon the last.
The wide dimensions of the canvas are my favorite to work with for many reasons. The wide format of the painting has an ability to allow me to capture a range of moments on the canvas, rather than just one. And if you have never experienced the expanse of a Texas sky, this sized painting is the next best thing. On the far right, you can see the sun hanging onto the sky, fading into the horizon, illuminating that side of the painting with its warmth. As you progress to the left, the light changes the land, but in a softer, more subtle way.
Lastly, there is the land and the tree/brush line. This area is the culmination of the marriage of the light and the land. The colors in the treeline mimic both the hue of the grassy land, and the reflection of the light in the sky. I’ve learned from painting this area over and over again, that the colors we see are anything but singular. A tree is not just green, the sky is not just blue. Our view is colored by the fusion of the areas where the light does and does not reach. The lightest areas are a reflection of the sun and sky - a pale yellow rim shifting into baby blue. The darker areas echo the hues of the land - army greens that fade into deep shadowy forest green.
‘Day Dreaming,’ with its wide, textured sky and its multi-colored landscape immediately pulls me into my memories. I am taken back to the moments of making my way to The Farm, where the structures get further and further apart, and the landscape gets greener and greener. I often have to tap into this moment of withdrawal when I need a moment to clear my mind. I am thankful for these paintings, and this one in particular, because it allows me to access so many memories in one frame. I may not always get to physically be at The Farm, but when I turn my head to this painting, I am there.