I guess it isn’t fair to call shadows a “trick” of the light. Perhaps it would be more accurate to describe them as creating shapes and colors on surfaces where those shapes and colors wouldn’t normally appear. Here I pair them with photos showing the difference that shadow and contrast can make to colors.

First, the shadows. I already have one post just on shadows, so you know I love the effect they can create, like a temporary mural with movement. Here are two more images that caught my eye.

Now for the color trick. I was lying on the floor stretching my leg when I noticed that where the green living room paint touched the yellow paint of the kitchen, something strange happened.

A while back, I read the book Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee, after having seen her TED talk. One of several things that struck me was something she said about joy being something that showed up in moments, like the delight on seeing an unexpected pop of color in a sea of blandness, or on suddenly hearing a cheerfully familiar tune, or being entranced by a really interesting painting. And further, that these moments significantly enrich our lives, which I really think they do.

And so it seems worth while to notice the interesting shadows around me, or the strange ways of color in light and shadow. Honestly, it’s probably better when you see these things pop up in your own life, rather than read about it in someone else’s blog. Photos just don’t capture it.

So really, the point of this post is probably “Take a second look at the things around you. Isn’t that an interesting shadow? Are there any color tricks around you now?”

One last thing, which I just noticed in the first photo and which may be due to the camera rather than a trick of the light at the time. Since when is my window frame pink? It’s white, contrasting nicely to the pale aqua wall in a paint called “Sparkle.”

Tricks.

Till next post.