In the beginning there was light .... and some dark too

Chiaroscuro literally means light-dark in Italian and refers to the use of high contrast light and dark shades in a variety of artistic media to bring objects into dramatic or heightened relief. Traditional oil paintings that use this effect often appear to me as if a spotlight illuminates the central characters or the significant action, similar to a spotlight on a stage. I have no experience with oil painting, and it's been many years since I had a hand in lighting a theatre production, I just happen to like this term - ever since first learning it in 9th grade. Besides, I had to name the blog something. Also, I currently am mildly obsessed with light, the idea of it, the experience of it: maybe it's the lack of it in winter; or because of the book I'm reading, D.H. Lawrence's The Rainbow, which makes copious references to light and dark (not to mention a few to rainbows).

A spotlight draws your attention to a specific, intended, important subject - and also serves a second purpose, to draw your attention away from other things going on in the now dark recesses. On stage, this may hide the entrance or exit of actors or the maneuverings of dressed-in-black crew members as they change the set. But I enjoyed when in a recent production of The Importance of Being Earnest these details were purposefully left in the light throughout the play. Sometimes it is just as telling - maybe even more interesting - to see what happens in the background.

Ok, so why the heck do I keep talking about spotlights? And what does it have to do with this brand-spanking-new blog anyway?

Sometimes my attention acts like a spotlight guided by a spastic five year old. (I may have had great powers of focus as a kid, at least according to my Dad, but they're failing me now.) Highlighting first one thing that seems interesting, but quickly being distracted by some movement or color over to the left ... then the right ... oh, but ... wasn't there something shiny off in that direction? Hmmm.

Where was I? Oh yes, my attentional spotlight needs some help. This is in part an effort, not so much to curb my wandering mind, but to bring something into focus long enough to write about it and see where it goes. Sometimes these things might be in the foreground - like something work-related - sometimes they may be things from behind the scenes, twirling in my head. Sometimes they might just be about an odd - or shiny - thing I saw one day. It's a little bit of an experiment to see what topics stick with me - what style or voice comes out - how I react to this (hopefully) creative effort as my outlet. In short, my purpose here is to write. Mostly for myself, but perhaps also to entertain a few readers.