The sun is getting low in the sky and casting a glow on the many angles of the abbey, St. Vigor at Cérisy in NW Normandy. It is a formidable, beautiful structure rising out of the meadows surrounding it. The old European churches,villages and castles have always called to me since I was a young child. Born to a French mother and having spent a year in France at age six, the country has been part of my soul. There is a richness in the art of the architecture throughout Europe that can only be found there. Starting at a young age I was exposed to works of art by European painters such as Monet, Rembrandt, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Vermeer, Pissaro, all of whom have influenced the paths I have taken in my photography. Their use of light and shadow in landscapes, buildings and in portraiture stay uppermost in my mind as I roam about with my camera looking for  that special light.

This particular day we had tried to visit the abbey only to find it closed.We wandered about its grounds, finally leaving as it got later in the afternoon. While driving back out and passing by the abbey, the light seemed to be striking the magnificent structure in just the right places. It was time fora stop by the road, finding just the right angle from which to catch its magic.The sky was a bit dull behind it yet the light on it was anything but. It was worth a shot. Upon downloading my images from that day, I felt the image needed something to support that beautiful light on the church. The sky felt like it wanted to glow with colors of sundown. This was a photograph that invited me to paint upon it. With colors and textures, the abbey came back to life for me. It once again glowed that heavenly glow.