The daylight in Hauho

From my very first visit to Finland and every time since then I have been fascinated by the (day) light here. In summer, in winter . . . every season has its own typical typical light where colors are influenced by clouds, fog, reflection or even lighting.

The direct sunlight seems to be sharper, brighter, clear and crispy like ice crystals while the blue color of the sky is much deeper and intense than we see at home. On a sunny day everything, including nature – flowers, leafs, the fields and even the clouds- it all feels to be brighter and colors are more pure than I am used to see.

In Holland even at a clear bright summer day the sky is a kind of “greyish” like there is always a thin layer of fog diverting the sunlight and causing shadow areas to get lighter.

This probably has to do – compared to the Dutch environment – with lower amounts of dust, pollution and other tiny particles in the air in particular when the wind comes from the north.

Another phenomenon I experienced during this stay are the sudden changes in the weather, within an hour a fantastic sunny morning can be killed by black clouds and rain while at the other hand a full grey day always has its different shades of grey; it almost never gets dull.

I discussed these observations with some of the visitors and it was suggested that the quick changes may relate to the fact that we are here located just under the imaginary weather border line there is over Finland.

This demarcation line goes in a curved shape roughly from Joensu in the east over Tampere to Rauma in the west, weather north of this line often differs from that in the south.

Every day during this stay I made notes about the light, the way it is influenced by the weather and the influence on people’s mood and feeling. This I want to express and reflect in the pieces of art I make.

What does ‘light’ mean to your day to day life …?

 

Leave a Comment