Why I Always Celebrate This Pivotal Day and You Should, Too

My almost done painting, "Across the Sky (Solstice)" 67H x 80W inches, diptych (2 panels). ©2020 Michelle Louis

    December 21st, the official start of winter in the northern hemisphere, marks Earth's maximum "away" tilt from the sun. In Wisconsin, we'll take in around 6 hours and 22 minutes less daylight than the longest day in June.
     I don't know about you, but for me that's way too short a day. Plus, it gets blasted cold in my cement-floored studio and I have to don long underwear and drink too much coffee to stay warm in here. Not to fret–the amount of daily sunlight we receive grows after the solstice as we edge toward spring. Though my studio will stay chilly a few more months, additional daylight warms my spirit.
    Noting the Winter Solstice  as both the night of deepest darkness and the return of light is more than an act of faith. For me, celebrating this celestial event honors ancestral abilities to figure out how the world around us works, and our drive to continue doing so. Celebrating Solstice is my salute to brave, brainy, inquisitive human minds throughout the ages.
     Here's to following your curiosity, Happy Solstice, my friends!!!

Where darkness lurks, every tiny ray of light needs reflection. "Gold Like the Sun," metallic acrylic on hardboard mounted on natural wood, 12 inches square. ©2020 Michelle Louis

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