Baagøe Jepsen
Original Fine Art
Light… and the Darkness
Darkness
I look around me and it’s my impression that many people are fighting their way through often continual, even crushing struggles—leaving them in what I call a darkness. I recognize it because I too have come to know this darkness all too well, making it difficult to hold on to self worth, self respect, motivation and even a joy of life. That’s darkness the way I experience it, and it’s my battle in life
Within the many meanings of darkness I long for light and yes… in doing so, it seems unavoidable that I take on a more metaphysical perspective to better understand what seems entirely ethereal.
Darkness can seem overwhelming and sometimes difficult to get out of—it has a lot of other names, like obstacles, trouble, difficulties and regularly in great volumes. Not surprisingly, some people even see life, existence itself and the world we live in as darkness, that one must fight their way through—looking for occasional windows of light.
Then There’s Light
At times it feels impossible to find any light, especially as one becomes accustomed to the darkness (living in the North may have that effect on some people during winters.)
In the darkness, I often forget how light changes almost everything but light is a marvel, a power even, in that it renews, encourages, strengthens, bringing hope—and life. Oh, how I need light, in my work, in my life—well, and in every single day and aside from the science that we biologically and emotionally all are in need of light, it just feels good and in light there’s beauty. This makes me look to the light for so many reasons… and visually—well, light is essential and while fearing to repeat myself, beautiful.
The light is what made me paint this and the purity and lines of the figure so perfectly harmonized in a celebration of light that I stopped everything and immediately asked the model to hold still— To which she promptly replied that she was quite comfortable where she was. The sun was nice and warm and she figured she could lay there all day—besides, she said (tongue in cheek)… it’s a nice little break away from the kids.
Wanting to remove all distractions and to make the light stand out more clearly, I toned down all color— essentially to the point of the composition being monochromatic, nearly without any middle tones. This left everything almost drowning in overpowering darkness, with just enough light to draw our eyes to the clearly defined contours—though sufficiently lit in contrast to the surrounding darkness to allow an innate yet intangible light to remain, and shine.
… and, that’s the light.
Baagøe Jepsen 