A symphony of colours: An impressionist’s Journey
How do we capture the passing of time on a static canvas? The core philosophy of impressionism isn’t about painting a scene being hyper realistic accuracy. Instead, it is about capturing a single, fleeting second. Welcome a ‘A Symphony of Colours’ a series dedicated to translating the poetry of natural light onto canvas.
In this diary, I shall take you behind the easel to explore the palettes, brushstrokes and I’ll be focusing on four pieces: Daybreak Muse, Breaking Dawn, Autumn Mist and Evening Blush.
How ‘Daybreak Muse’ Came to Life
The anchor of the collection ‘Daybreak Muse’ is my attempt to capture that exact threshold where night surrenders to the early morning. Visually it is an intense study of contrasting temperatures, lots of layers of oranges, vibrant yellows and delicate peachy red tones peaking through the stubborn cool blues that linger in the waking sky.
When building this composition with acrylics my main goal was to create a sense of moving energy. Because acrylic paint dries so rapidly I had to work decisively layering thick, broken brushstrokes of paint directly over one another before the lower sections locked into place. The quick workflow allows the fiery morning palette to look like they are physically breaking our from behind the receding shadows.
The focal point of this piece is the central cascade of light coming down. By running heavy textured brushstrokes vertically against the horizontal sweep of the atmosphere, the sunlight doesn’t just sit flat on the canvas it cuts through it bringing that sudden, luminous warmth you feel when the sun finally clears the horizon.
The Mood Behind ‘Autumn Mist’
Autumn Mist draws inspiration from Scotland, capturing the essence of its stunning countryside with rolling valleys and the mist gently rising. When I sat down to paint this piece, I wanted to focus entirely on the atmosphere. The sky has a lot of muted tones lending a quiet and tranquil feel to the composition that immediately slows you down when you look at it.
To bring this Scottish landscape to life with acrylics, I had to work carefully with soft blended layers. I painted some paper blue tones clinging onto the tops of the hills showing how the damp air sits in the valleys before the day fully warms up. Just like in ‘Daybreak Muse’ there is light cascading down the valley, but here it is much softer filtered entirely through the morning mist.
