A Glint in the Corner

When I've finally talked myself into letting a painting be 'done', I'll usually cover that puppy with a few coats of clear acrylic to protect it from dust and scuffs. There are two types of sealent that can be used, either a matte coat or gloss. Both give different effects, but a good rule of thumb is that the gloss coat will make the colors pop out like flowers in a meadow.

There's another secret. If the light shining on a painting is coming from above and to the side, the texture of the canvas captures the light and reflects it into constellations of glittering motes which flow across the surface. The edge of the painting becomes the location of a minature galaxy. The effect is beautiful beyond words to describe. The colors in the painting, carefully put down and chosen often with an intensity bordering on obsession fade into nothingness beyond the swirling pinpricks of light.

I imagine that most paintings can create this effect, if viewed the right way. Everything the painter has labored so hard to create melts away beneath a chaotic jumble of twinkling lights, and captured wonder.