Seeking inspiration for my Lighting Blog has always been a tenuous task for me. When inspiration actually flows to me, it’s usually random, sporadic, and completely unpredictable. Thus, my attempts to chart “patterned inspiration” generally become laughable orientated around other works of art or “forced inspiration” where I scan through pages of photographs, clips, paintings, and look around my world for something to click. This time, determined to force myself to think a little differently, I ignored photographs and perused paintings with a surprising result.
La Grenouillere or “The Frog Pond” by Claude Monet. To be frank, the reason I clicked on the first icon was because it was of such a resolution that from the search index, the water appeared incredibly, almost impossibly realistic. Similar to the painting, “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” by Seurat, from a proper distance, the painting seems to be almost a complete visage, until, moving closer, you can pick out the distinct and different brush strokes, the twists and turns of the paintbrush and the defining proof that this work of art is certainly a painting. However, what strikes me the most are the images the painting forces me to conjure. Memories of standing on the shady edge of a lake, the feeling of cool as I can see the glow of the sun lighting up the path ahead of me. The sensation of a sharp breeze, intermarried with the overpowering warmth as the light wraps around me, embracing me in it’s dazzling splendor. And it is splendorous, that light. The line of shadow to sun in early morn’ or late afternoon is one crossed with hesitation one way, and expectant relief the other, and that memory, conjuring up thoughts of sun breaking through the trees, warm light against your face, and an aw-inspiring sunrise or sunset (which may or may not be addressed in another post) creates a glorious visage which fills you and warms you from within- and it is that, that Monet managed to convey in his painting.
All through the power of light.
I’ve figured out by now what I enjoy in theater, but at times I question the why. With lighting, it is abundantly clear. The power to create worlds, to conjure emotions, to convey sensations so real one could close their eyes and imagine, or better yet, open their eyes and believe.
Jacob's Lighting Design 
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