I feel myself drawn to shadows more recently. The slow crawl of these detail-less objects that follow their owners everywhere has been tripping my child-like wonder. They have a mysterious quality to them, like silent observers of another form.

My inner child questions “who is this that follows me, does she have the same thoughts and dreams as me? Why does she change shape and direction when the sun is out, and why on rainy days do I feel lonely when she is gone?”
 
So, just what are shadows?

Shadows Defined

• A dark figure or image cast on the ground or some surface by a body intercepting light(dictionary.com).

• A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface (Top Google hit).

Light and Shadow

The strong contrast of shadows against the  brightly lit ground has also intrigued me. In a previous blog, Creative nature writings, I wrote:

“What is it that draws me to light and shadow? When I look at the ground on a sunny day life seems amplified. As the sun colors the ground with warmth, shadows are casted by the environment. shadows are like another form of existence. For without noticing a shadow, we would never seek out the owner of it. Looking up one would see the leaves of a tree, some shaded by others, but there are always a few that are made somewhat transparent by the sun. These leaves give off such a glow that it completely captivates you…”

I guess it is not just the shadow that I am captivated by, but the whole surroundings that create the shadow: the sun, the environment and the object in between. It seems I am always searching for the object in between…