The Gift of the Overcast Day

Some of you may remember reading about my struggles to control the light in my studio when I am painting still lifes. I paint using only natural light, and as the sun moves from east to west, the light through my window changes dramatically. I have resorted to various tricks to manage the light, but they all have certain disadvantages. So you can imagine my excitement during the recent spell of overcast days--not pretty days to be outside, but ideal for painting indoors!

"Overflowing"
Oil on Linen, 18 x 18
(c) Lesley Powell 2017

On high overcast days, the quality of the light stays very stable from morning through afternoon. That means that I don't have to rush to finish a painting before the light changes. It is such a luxury to know that the lighting will remain constant. I can stop for lunch, or  take
a break, and when I return the subject will be the same. 

"Silver Pint"
Oil on Linen, 10 x 12
(c) Lesley Powell 2017

This post is illustrated with several paintings that I have been working on during these overcast winter days. (You can see the finished painting from the top photo here). I like the subtle color shifts that the low lighting helps me to see. I think that I have unconsciously been selecting objects that are rather Vermeer-esque, that speak of an earlier time, when natural light was the only kind of light. Old pewter, tarnished silver, coarse sheets--these are the things that I have been drawn to. Stay tuned for more, because the overcast days have not yet run their course!