🌌 Solstice Memory: A Painting of Change, Light, and Time
- Hope Blakely
- Sep 13
- 2 min read
There are certain moments in life — and in art — where everything feels like it’s shifting. Solstice Memory is one of those pieces. Painted in 2025 with oils on an 18x24 canvas, this work was inspired by a Bill Alexander tutorial, but along the way it became something deeply personal.
At first glance, the painting is about contrast — the long shadows and glowing light of the solstice, where one season hands its torch to the next. But look closer and you’ll see how much more is woven into it: the cycles of time, the fleeting beauty of light on the land, and the reminder that change itself carries its own kind of peace.
The Story Behind the Painting
This piece began as a study under the guidance of Bill Alexander’s techniques. His bold, confident brushwork gave the foundation: sky, earth, light. Yet as the layers built up, the painting moved beyond study into memory — shaped by my own reflections on the passage of time, and by a desire to let the light take center stage.
“Solstice” became more than just a marker of the longest or shortest day. It became a metaphor for cycles of growth, endings, and new beginnings — ideas that ripple through both art and life.
What to Look For
🌅 Glowing horizon — capturing the magical balance of day and night.
🖌 Strong, deliberate brushwork — a nod to Bill Alexander’s influence.
🌙 Symbolic tone — evoking the mystery and pull of celestial rhythms.
Each element is designed to make the viewer pause — to feel both the familiarity of landscape and the wonder of how quickly it shifts under the touch of light.
Why Collectors Love It
Original realism pieces like Solstice Memory offer more than just decoration. They become conversation starters, anchors of meaning in a room. This painting carries:
A direct tie to art history (Bill Alexander’s legacy).
A universal theme (the solstice, change, cycles of time).
A one-of-a-kind presence — no print or copy can truly replicate its depth.
The Details
Artist: Hope Blakely
Year: 2025
Medium: Oil on stretched canvas
Dimensions: 18x24 inches
Price: $395 (unframed)
Solstice Memory isn’t just about a moment of light and shadow — it’s about carrying memory forward, honoring change, and finding beauty in the balance of it all.
💬 A Note from Hope
If Solstice Memory speaks to you, I’d love to invite you to my Gallery Open House on Sept 18 at Hope’s Home Studio in Arvada, CO. Over 100 paintings will be on display — including this one — with plenty of time to chat, browse, and enjoy refreshments. I’d love to see you there! Learn more →
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