Light and Shadow

Drawing and Painting with
Light & Shadow
LISA LIPSETT
LIGHT & SHADOW

Lisa Lipsett, EdD
"I thought the most beautiful thing in the world must be shadow."
-Sylvia Plath
creativebynature.org
One of my favourite creative energizers is drawing and painting

with light and shadow. There are two parts to this offering: 'outside-in'
artful engagement with natures shadows, and 'inside-out'
artful engagement with our own shadow selves.
Shadows have been on my mind a lot lately. Maybe its because in the
pacific northwest, at this wintery time of year, the sun is very low in the sky
and shadows are prolific and incredibly long as they wrap their tentacles
across forest pathways, roads and, over walls.
A few weeks ago, while trick or treating with my husband and
daughter, I was struck by the gorgeous branch shadow that appeared on my
husbands right cheek. It was created when a child illuminated her way with
a flashlight along a bushy stretch of dark road. The effect was spell-binding
as a moving tree face emerged, alive, yet with a complex tattoo of branchy
pathlines.
Fern foot
Then two weeks later I watched a compelling contemporary dance

performance entitled Frontier choregraphed by Crystal
Pike. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt-eVpG8MhI
Dancers in white were embraced, supported, impeded,
tracked, and intimidated by black shadowy figures with wild
bird-like gestures. As the light dancers moved, tension was
created by the continual presence of shadow-selves or what
Pike likens to dark matter, that mysterious parallel shadow
universe that mirrors, sometimes bursts through, and
continually shapes our own.
There has always been something about the dance of
shadow on a wall or on a face that intrigues me. Perhaps their
monochromatic nature or the clarity of their silhou-ette.
Though even more likely its their continual move-ment.
For unless created by artificial light, a shadow is always
moving and changing - often very quickly since its very
existence is directly tied to the movement of the earth relative
to the sun. Drawing and painting shadow and light can place
us in direct contact with this natural movement and change.
We see and feel the movement of life.
" the shadow of Wild Woman still lurks behind us
during our days and in our nights. No matter where we are, the shadow that
trots behind us is definitely four-footed." Clarissa Pinkola Ests
In a parallel way, giving in-the-moment creative expression to shadow
-selves, thoughts, or impulses offers insight, releases energy, and makes us
feel more whole. Hidden aspects of self come into the light slowly revealing
their power to transform our lives. By making art in the service of
knowing ourselves more fully, we can slowly turn up the light and see
what shadows reveal themselves because where there is bright light there
is also shadow.
PART I: DRAWING AND PAINTING WITH NATURES

SHADOWS
By making art in the
service of knowing
ourselves more fully,
we can slowly turn up
the light and see what
shadows reveal
themselves.
Shadow outline
Pick a bright day for this activity. Begin your session by setting an
intention (see the Create Cycle in the Introduction to Creative by Nature
Art PDF). To intend originates from the French entendre, intendre, to
direct ones attention (in Modern French, principally to hear), from the
Latin intendere 'turn ones attention, strain, literally to stretch out,
extend."
Record your intention, then let it go. Literally. Setting an intention is like
dropping a pebble into a still well of water and watching the ripples blossom
outwards. By dropping your pebble into the well, you can then trace the
meaning of your journey back to its source when you are finished. Dont
consciously hold on to the original intention, rather just carry on and create.
Take a few moments and write down what you are curious about or
what you are drawn toward today.
Take your art supplies (see Creative by Nature Art Eight- Day
Practice PDF) as you wander outside and open to a plant, animal, or tree
whose shadow really appeals to you. Ask permission to engage.
To begin this activity, it is probably enough to simply focus on tracing shapes and staying present to what
is happening in the moment. Draw
and paint by balancing the use of each
hand, creating with both hands for
part of the session and painting relatively equal amounts of time with
your eyes open and closed. Close your
eyes to choose the paint colours at
least half of the time. Work slowly.
Here is a video taken at the Cortes
Island Childrens Forest where
I drew with light and shadow and the following narrative describes an
encounter with the shadows of an apple tree in my front yard.
http://creativenatureconnection.com/video/light-draw
Apple Tree Encounter
Top: paintings
Middle: tree banner
Bottom: banner painting
I worked quickly to trace the branch shadows because they moved

enough to be unrecognizable in the very short time it took me to pop up and
run to my studio to get my camera. I felt incredibly free as I alternated
outlining the shapes created by the shadows and the dappled sunlight.
Then I painted inside the outlines. It was fun choosing the paint by
running my fingers over the palette and letting my hand choose the colours.
I painted the light spaces in and around the shadows. I loved giving colour to
this beautiful dappled light.
For my second painting, I again started by tracing shadows but this time
I gave them colour and left the sun lit areas alone. The shadows moved a great
deal in the short time it took to paint them.
For my third painting I quickly painted the shadows free hand. This was
very loose and freeing yet I needed to stay focused and decisive to quickly
paint either the light or shadowed areas without outlining them first.
When all three paintings were complete, I laid them down on the ground
on top of the shadows that had inspired their creation. Immediately I
envisioned outlining the whole tree onto a larger piece of paper. Outlining
light and shadow then painting on a large piece of mural paper seemed like
an exciting extension. So I ran to my studio to look at paper options and I
chose vellum because its both smooth and shadowy.
I laid frosty vellum under the shadows of the apple tree. I coloured in the
shadows free hand with a gold oil stick. I realized quickly that I needed to
outline the shadows first if I wanted them on the page. So, I traced the limbs,
branches, and leaves in black marker and mused that it could be fun to work
in watercolour or fluid acrylic to quickly paint the moving shadows. Then I
took the banner to my studio where I could lie it down on a smooth surface
because I found the grass to be too uneven to paint on. I was compelled to
paint the shadows gold and the dappled light shapes all different colours.
I finished the session by recording what I noticed and wondered about,

then began my inside-out image.
PART II: DRAW AND PAINT SHADOW-SELVES

Our inner world is a complex exquisite and powerful play of colours, lights
and shadows, a cathedral of consciousness as glorious as the natural world
itself. Julia Cameron
Our inner world is a

complex exquisite and
powerful play of
colours, lights and
shadows, a cathedral of
consciousness as
glorious as the natural
world itself. Julia
Cameron
Now I invite you to draw and paint spontaneously on a new page. Follow
what attracts by tracking the flow of what fits easily in the moment. Begin an
image by closing your eyes and drawing random shapes and lines. Use both
hands at least part of the time. After five minutes or so, bring your paints out
and close your eyes to choose the colours. Keep your eyes closed as you paint
with wild abandon, alternating hands and having fun. Do this for as long as
youd like. If its easier to paint in pitch darkness rather than closing your eyes,
I invite you to try that. When you feel finished open your eyes. This is like
turning on the light to better see a shadow image - the one created in the
'dark'. Using coloured watercolour pencils, or permanent marker (wait until
the paint is dry before using marker or the ink will stop running) outline
interesting areas, define shadowy shapes, deepen and darken colour. Just as
you outlined light and shadow in Part I, outline and define shape and colour
in this new image. What is asking to be illuminated? Watch this video to learn
more about how to extend your drawings and paintings in this way.
www.tinyurl.com/n48vulv
To finish, you can dialogue with a shape, a being, a colour, a natural
shadow. You can ask, Is there anything youd like to share? Also, take a few
moments to record anything you noticed while you were creating and
anything you wonder about. Revisit your original intention. Are there any
new insights, observations or questions you have? Close by expressing
gratitude in some way.
Consider sharing your images and creative experiences with members of
the Creative by Nature Art blog and enjoy a supportive community of likeminded creatives.
Learn more about Lisa Lipsetts work at

www.LisaLipsett.com Visit Creative by Nature Artclasses, events, resources, video, fine art and blog at
www.creativebynature.org
This article originally appeared in Sage-ing Journal, Winter 2014
www.sageing.ca

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Drawing and Painting with

Light & Shadow

LIGHT & SHADOW

One of my favourite creative energizers is drawing and painting

Then two weeks later I watched a compelling contemporary dance

PART I: DRAWING AND PAINTING WITH NATURES

Apple Tree Encounter

I worked quickly to trace the branch shadows because they moved

I finished the session by recording what I noticed and wondered about,

PART II: DRAW AND PAINT SHADOW-SELVES

Our inner world is a

Learn more about Lisa Lipsetts work at

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