Skywatching

Skywatching is a multi-year painting and research project that examines the colors we perceive in the atmosphere at dawn and dusk.

The project grew out of a remote artist residency in 2024, where I had an uninterrupted 360-degree view of the horizon. While observing the sky during different phases of twilight, I began noticing recurring patterns in color at civil dawn and dusk depending on the sun’s position relative to the horizon. These similarities persisted across days, while subtle differences emerged based on weather an my own perspective. This observation prompted a deeper inquiry into what variables (geographic, atmospheric, and perceptual) shape the colors of light we experience.

The conceptual framework of Skywatching asks whether it is possible to approach a unifying theory of twilight color through sustained observation across diverse locations. By traveling to various regions across the planet, I study how colors shift or remain consistent depending on variables of location, latitude, elevation, season, weather, and surface-level air quality. The paintings produced through this process are not illustrations of data, but perceptual records – specific chromatic fields tied to a precise moment of civil dawn or dusk at a specific place. Through this work, I explore atmospheric optics, the physics of light, and the nature of perception, while remaining in direct sensory experience.

The medium for Skywatching is painting, executed through a highly disciplined and contemplative process. As with my broader practice, the act of painting functions as a meditative practice; one that requires prolonged attention, physical endurance, and embodied presence. This sustained focus mirrors contemplative traditions that emphasize awareness, patience, and attunement to subtle change. In this way, the process itself becomes a form of psychological inquiry, inviting both artist and viewer into a slowed state of perception.

To date, the project has focused on gathering visual observations and environmental data at various locations, producing initial paintings, and developing ideas for how information from each site might be presented. While atmospheric data, such as air quality and meteorological conditions, is currently collected as contextual information rather than embedded directly into the paintings, it serves as a parallel record of ground-level conditions influencing perception. 

Below is documentation of the first stages of this project as it evolves over time.

More information, images, and other locations coming soon…

Montello, NV - October, 2024

Grand Marais, MN - April, 2025

Big Island, Hawai’i - July, 2025

Coming soon…

Cuttyhunk Island - September, 2025

Coming soon…

Lindsy Halleckson is a fiscal year 2024 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. A portion of this activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature; and by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.