The Light of the Moon

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

Moonlit Night 1897 (PD US) Oil Isaac Levitan

Heading into the long, dark nights of winter, we do not despair! Winter nights can provide opportunities for painting nocturnes, and we eagerly prepare our plein air palettes for the night work. There are good reasons to take advantage of winter nights. We’ve had milder winters lately, with some night temps into the 40s—perfect painting weather. Darkness comes earlier, so we don’t have to work in the middle of the night. It is much quieter and more peaceful out in a still winter night. We are free from annoying insects and the often suffocating summertime humidity which causes murky light. Nocturnes are a subject few other artists are exploring today - the field is wide open for us to put our unique hand to. Nocturnes stand out - they don’t look like any other paintings. Perhaps best of all, they are fun to paint.

One artist we always look to for inspiration is the Russian landscape painter, Isaac Levitan (1860-1900…