Light and Shadow

The funny thing with painting is, that it's kind of like life: If you paint with only light colours, the soul of the painting is weak and almost invisible. It is the dark portions that give the image definition and power. I started making drawings again like the one below, to explore what I can do with this truth, in my paintings as well as in my daily life: what can I create if I accept the things we call "dark" into my paintings and my world? Is there any less love in the pain we experience than in the happiness we receive?