Painting Is About Light: The Meaning of Art

The Light Will Shine The Way” by Lisa Miller, Oil on Canvas, 40 inches x 30 inches

On exhibition as part of “Season of Light” at Domecil Studio, Santa Barbara, through February 1, 2026

As we crossed the threshold into 2026 and now that we’re well into January, I continue to think about this world with all it’s chaos and clutter and conversations, trying to answer the question of where does art - and specifically my art - fit in to the greater course of things. And what I keep coming to is the idea of light.

In fact, “Season of Light” is the title of a recent exhibition of my paintings that opened last month at Domecil Studio in Santa Barbara and is on display through next weekend. I chose this title for the show, both in reference to my annual holiday collection with the same name, but to also amplify this concept of light that continues to be a through-line in my art and life.

“Painting is about light. Without light there is nothing for the artist to work with. Without light there is the void.” - Brice Marden

This quote resonates with me so deeply - not just because Marden is one of my favorite artists and teachers - because he’s talking both literally and metaphorically. And I love creating paintings that hold this duality of experience and meaning.

The six large-scale oil paintings that I selected for the collection are some of my newest work, exploring the inner human journey and expressing that experience on canvas. The paintings are fresh and exciting with vibrant colors and brilliant energy, and over time they are profoundly engaging and deeply resonant.

Color helps the artist depict light. These paintings are saturated with color, and the studio space lends itself beautifully to experiencing these paintings. As the light of day changes, and especially when the warm California-winter almost horizontal afternoon light floods in, the paintings come alive with a luminance that glows beyond the pigment alone. So there is a visceral, in the moment experience of the paintings that connects the viewer to the work through the senses.

This connection that happens at the point of the painting - where the artist, the viewer and dare I say ‘spirit’ meet - is what the deeper experience of my work is about. That is where the proverbial light, that greater force of existence that we call the divine, enters. And that is where we experience the transformative power of art. In that moment, the painting becomes a vehicle for awakening and life opens up.

And over time, as viewer’s relationship with the painting unfolds, my art continues to touch the soul, uplift the spirit, and shine a light on the path ahead. My hope is that my paintings inspire each person to ‘paint their own masterpiece’ in their own life, in their own way, each day.’

Until next time -

Let your light shine,

Lisa Miller