Night and Day

Mood is only as limited as one’s ability to articulate the nuances of emotion. In reference to a painting, it signifies the general atmosphere, state of mind or the instinctual reaction the art evokes within the viewer.

But what infuses a piece with this palpable, if ineffable, feeling? What techniques and tools are used to achieve a desired mood?

An upcoming exhibition at RJD Gallery titled Night and Day—The Art of Mood explores how light, or lack of it, sets the tone of a group of diverse paintings by several of their talented artists.

Will Teather often paints scenes that seem to emerge from the shadows. His piece The Moon Has Lost its Memory is part of the series Lunar Incantations. “I enjoy the mystery of nocturnal scenes and the way nature seems to be watching us,” says Teather.

Teather’s piece was inspired by the play Ernest and  Pale  Moon. “The play is quite minimal, using physical theatre to signify most props, leaving a lot of room for my later embellishment of the images,” he says, noting that he gave himself a cameo as the Man in the Moon. “I am interested in using text in a way in which it strengthens the narrative whilst still leaving the meaning open.”

Teather spends a lot of time on the lighting of his models and props because it is so crucial to his work. “It changes everything,” he says. “Both the way you feel and the handling of the paint. I think about the mood I want to achieve. Lighter scenes tend to be more illustrative in style, whereas layers of shadow give the chance for things to emerge from the ether.”