Original artwork description:

Shakespeare inspired this painting - "How far that little candle throws its beam, so shines a good deed in a naughty world."

Then I thought of the two different ways we see candlelight today. A candlelit vigil or the carol singers we see in December at Christmas time.

The effect of candlelight is magical, and also mysterious, drawing us in. I wanted to capture the agelessness in this image, the flicker of candles used from the dark medieval times to the present day.

The woman could be grieving, or celebrating. She could be mourning someone she has lost, or welcoming the winter, lighting the dark nights that lead to Christmas.

For me, she is a carol singer.

Materials used:

oil paint/egg tempera