Watercolor on paper. 12.5" x 17.5". Wood frame. Frame size: 22.5" x 27.5". 2025. 

Most of my paintings of my home feature a family member casually going about their business. As the title suggests, this painting was done after our youngest daughter had left for college and the house was feeling a lot emptier. I wasn’t trying to communicate a feeling of sadness exactly, but I did want to stress a feeling of stillness and emptiness.

With no people to paint, I could focus on the subtle play of light upon the walls and staircase. Watercolor is a perfect medium with which to explore the effects of light and shadow and I enjoyed looking deeply into the shadows and the light to find just the right cool or warm colors to express them.