Liminal Space - 3am

Liminal Space was the theme of a project in my first year of art study at Byron School of Art assigned by artist and teacher, James Guppy.

3am - the space between deep sleep and uncomfortable thoughts, Lying awake, over thinking, avoiding the temptation to get up because you know the clock on the oven will confirm it’s 3am. Night shadows play tricks on you eyes and you practice conversations that you know you’ll never say. Regret and grief visit at this hour. Occasionally solutions and sudden clarity, but rarely. Practicing mindfulness, a few deep breaths, trying to anticipate the next loud snore from your partner and strangely finding comfort in his irregular breathing pattern. Feeling for the dog on the bottom of the bed. Making sence of the obscure shadowy shapes coming through the window. Listening to the branches scrape against the wall outside in the breeze. Faintly hearing the ocean heaving in the distance and waiting for the first glimpse of the sunrise to replace the street light. What time does the first bus go past heading south to Pottsville? Who catches that?

3am, the liminal space between sleep and awake, dark and light, comfort and discomfort.

I took photos from my bed at 3am in the dark with no flash. I was amazed that I captured an image at all and adjusted it enough to just make out sufficient shapes to create a composition. I worked with oil on board, there was a lot of scumbling and blurring to capture the effect of limited light.