Safe Passages by Jamie Lightfoot, Oil, 24 x 36
"Some people in our life are like a lighthouse. They guide us to safety as we navigate the coast." — Mohammed Sekouty
When people see my art, one of the first questions is, "Where is this?" I always answer, "It is wherever it takes you."
Yes, the images in my art are influenced by literal places, but the painting itself is, as Van Gogh described, "a corner of nature seen through a temperament."
A genuine painting should express the artist's experience of reality. It should "convey reality more strongly and make art truer than the literal truth." Van Gogh
There are many lighthouses in Washington state, and this painting is inspired by one of them. But it is also a collaboration of all of my experiences visiting lighthouses.
One of my favorites is the Lighthouse on Patos Island, located on the most Northwest corner of the United States. (By the way, there is an excellent book about this lighthouse conveying the story of the people who lived there and maintained it back in the day.)
I love the lighthouse at Cape Disappointment as well, with its crashing waves at the confluence of the ocean and the entrance of the Columbia River.
And then there is Point Robinson - calm and peaceful with views across the Puget Sound of Mt. Rainer. It has provided safe passages for vessels since 1885.
So, when you look at this painting, instead of literally asking "where is this," ask yourself, "where does it take you"?