This post is part of my series, Courting the Muse. Subscribers to my email list receive a weekly prompt focusing on one aspect of creativity.

This week’s prompt sheds light on light. Oh, I guess I said that last week. Well, it’s a different kind of light this time.

I’m heading home on the freeway when the muse pops up and says LOOK AT THAT SKY!

She says it rather dramatically, the muse is a drama queen.

I take my eyes off the road for a wee sec.

WOWZAH!!!

The drama is well deserved. Think mauve, lots of mauve. Bands of dark gray, a whole spectrum of pinks and gold with little patches of blue scattered throughout.

But the real drama is on the hillside below.

It’s glowing—positively glowing. Rose gold with fire within–like an opal if opals came in that shade. It’s a color I can’t really describe or do justice to, especially when I try to paint it. The color-that-can’t-be-described is only on the top half of the hill, the bottom half is dark. This is the golden hour–which isn’t really an hour, more like a few minutes an hour before sunset (or an hour after sunrise) when the light is warm and soft and makes everything look beautiful. It’s also known as the candlelight hour, because treetops are lit up for a few minutes like giant candles.

But I digress.

I’m cruising along at 70 mph thinking how much I want a photo—need a photo—but there’s no safe place to pull over–see what I’m doing here, showing in an indirect way that I’m a responsible driver and not maybe frantically clawing at my purse with one hand searching for the phone—which I didn’t but I wanted to. Oh how I wanted to.

So since I can’t find the phone I’m a responsible driver I do the next best thing. The artist thing. Take mental photos. Write notes and make sketches in my head while continuing on my way. With my eyes on the road, of course.

When I get home I rush in the house and say to Mr. Spouse, “Did you see—“

“I did, it was AMAZING!”

We’ve been married long enough that we don’t need to finish our sentences and the other one knows exactly what’s being said. Or maybe we don’t. Maybe we’re like pre-schoolers having parallel conversations and there’s no telepathic woo-woo vibe involved at all. But this time we were definitely on the same page as we both describe what we saw in the sky.

I mull over the mental picture in my head for a day or two before pulling out the pastels. Pastels? Those of you who know my work but aren’t familiar with my current circumstances may be wondering why is she making itty bitty things with CHALK??? Well, # 1 because I like it and # 2 you can read why here.

As an abstract painter (with a ‘firm distain for reality‘ as a photographer once said to me) I paint what I feel, not what I see. The mental photos and notes in my head served as a jumping off point for the pieces you see in the photo. They’re finished and will be available as both the originals and prints but I have to have them photographed first. I said that last week, well I’m saying it again. And I may do a few more because I’m loving the way these are going. I said that too. Oh dear…

Until next week–

PS. I’d love to hear from you! I fixed the glitch from last week that wouldn’t allow any comments but NOW YOU CAN! Please, leave a comment below and let me know how you’re enjoying the weekly prompts. If enough people show interest I’ll start a private Facebook page where you can share your photographs, poems or whatever you create from Courting the Muse.