Night time is not always silent

September 20th 2012

     Finally! There are some painting I could truly enjoy from the lecture. We had studied a Canadian artist named Joseph Légaré who is a master of night time painting and also an art collector.

     I love art works that are about the night, not only for their dramatic and mysterious effects, but also for their simplicity.  One of my professors once told me that in my art I need to leave some empty space for the viewer's eye to rest. I think in these night paintings there is plenty of this kind of space for our eyes and mind to rest. So, because they are mostly dark, I feel that they are simple in that there is a lot of space to look at.

     I think the reason I enjoy night more than day time is because my parents often returned home very late when I was a child, so I always fell asleep when the moon was very high in the sky. I pulled my bed next to the window so the moonlight could reach me. I was always able to build a little world in my head when I saw a very beautiful, starry night. In my world, I could fly, but only at night when the moonlight was very bright. Here is the painting I did four years ago to show others what my world looks like on a full moon night.

     Also, I often hung out with my father, who was a very important friend during the nights (he worked until 8pm, so that was the only time we could hang out). He always put me on his shoulders and told me stories about the moon. I always thought that there were rabbits on the moon, and I had discovered a bunny riding a bicycle on it. I made a piece especially for my father with the bike-riding-rabbit in it, to remember the good times we had together.

    Therefore, I always feel very safe and secure at night. I think that is why animals in the tropical rainforest, jungle, and prairie are most active at night time. That might be why some artists can only work at night, because we are hunting - hunting for inspiration.

     Night is so wonderful. It's when the most beautiful ball room dancing starts, when people dress fancy to go to music halls, when delicious banquets are being hosted, and when the craziest parties happen. We have the freedom to either be ourselves or to be someone else at night. There are so many stories that have their most exciting moments at midnight or on a full moon. I don't think the moon is just a little ball running around the earth - instead, the moon and stars define the night. Without them, it can't be complete. But at the same time, without the night, we can't see them.

     Somehow, I am glad that I got to stay up all night so often. Even though it isn't good for my health, I love to be awake in the dark.