I have done big paintings of the sunrise ...illuminating the front room... I had been wanting to paint my older daughter with her new baby but was worried about the paint fumes. One morning, around Thanksgiving, as the sun was coming up, I saw that the sunrise light was so strong, that I could stand outside on the porch and look in through the window even though double paned windows reflect a lot of light…. this particular time of day, I could see through perfectly well! My daughter was not able to sit for long and the painting became a lot about that sunrise illuminating the room, and her, and the baby. The first day, I used big brushes, Cremnitz white, naples yellow and a little quinacridone rose and some green painters tape (for concrete, brick and grout) to block in the light and shadow. From that basic, very simple layout, I work towards some kind of focus. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kurt-solmssen-real-world-at-lewallen-galleries-santa_us_57f5025de4b02d64cba52fa9)