227 - Bittersweet Hours

I painted an urban nightscape from life, specifically the view from my home–studio, which is softly illuminated by the city’s evening lights. This lighting makes my subject resemble twilight, that brief and therefore precious bittersweet hour that begins just as the sky starts to darken. While I am painting, I think about nothing other than painting itself: how to render the night, the lights and the shadows, focusing on color rather than tonal contrasts; How to maintain transparency in my work without losing balance, and so on. However, when I look at my painting as a viewer, various thoughts pass through my mind and my feelings are mixed. On the one hand, the mystery of the nocturnal lighting falling on the massive buildings has something captivating. The bright windows emit a sense of warmth, while the night conveys quietness. On the other hand, I think about the loneliness they conceal, and how oppressively close yet at the same time how distant we are from our neighbours.