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Painting reflections has always been part of my art and the reason is twofold.

 

As an artist, the effects of light fascinate me and, in realism, it is an integral part of being able to convert a two-dimensional surface into a three-dimensional illusion. We basically paint how the light hits things by using a range of values. And, of course, the darks play an important part by accentuating the presence of light. There is no light without dark!

 

However, there is more to light. There is reflection which occurs when a ray of light approaches a surface and bounces back. When the reflection occurs on smooth water or on a shiny surface, suddenly, the viewer starts debating what is real and what is reflection. The reflection, similar in shape and color, leads to a deeper interest and to question our own reality. It is a dichotomy between what we consider the real world and a created one by the bounces of light.

 

Reflections vary according to the surface. The reflection on a smooth lake, on a mirror or on a shiny flat object will be a virtual image. The reflection on a very rough or irregular surface will be different. The mirror will reflect all of the components of white light while a rough surface might absorb some of the light components and reflect the others in multiple directions. The curvature of the reflective surface also affects what can be seen. For example, a rounded, shiny tea pot will receive the reflection and change the curvature producing sometimes distorted or elongated shapes. Sometimes when painting a reflection, I have to analyze where a reflected shape is coming from. It is warped, different or unexpected.

 

Painting reflections in art is painting the light that is thrown back by a body or surface. Here is where the twofold reason comes in. The word “Reflection” has two definitions in the dictionary; one talks about the reflection of light but the other definition is “serious thought or consideration”. Reflection is considered a “deeper form of learning” and thus encourages the individual to consider new ideas, to be creative and to come to the understanding of information. By painting reflections, not only I learn but also the viewer is thrown or submerged into trying to understand a world of possibilities. Is this part real or is it a reflection of something else? 

 

As an artist, painting reflections is trying to understand the creative power of what I do: painting the light!