Three quite different paintings but all painted with the same landscape in mind.

Which one is your favourite…….

‘Windswept Evening’, ‘Mistral Sunrise’ and ‘Evening Rain’

Acrylic on canvas and paper

It’s always fascinating to observe how different paintings interact and complement each other, and I believe these three pieces harmonise beautifully, highlighting the delicate light on the horizon. Each was created with the North Downs firmly in mind. The North Downs is a landscape that continually draws me in for a variety of reasons, one of the most significant being sentimental. It was one of my late father’s favourite places, particularly the breathtaking views from Colley Hill, where the play of light and the richly coloured skies create a truly captivating atmosphere.

All the shadows in the foreground, combined with the rich and vibrant green tones hopefully convey the essence of the landscape and emphasise the intricate brushstroke details on the horizon. If you are familiar with my work, you will know that I always include carefully crafted brushstroke details on the horizon line to draw the viewer’s eye and pull them into the most important and captivating part of the painting.

Even though all three paintings were created at distinctly different times of the day they could easily be perceived as depicting almost the same moment in time. I find it particularly interesting when this occurs, when the quality of light appears almost identical, creating a subtle sense of timelessness and continuity across the works. One might even say it feels as if each piece was painted with the others in mind, especially if one painting’s light and mood worked particularly well. However, on this occasion, they were all painted at different times and during different seasons, which makes this harmonious effect all the more remarkable.

‘Evening Rain’ was painted on paper, which makes it more spontaneous than the others because the paint dries very quickly, requiring you to work quite rapidly. I usually use fairly large brushes to create broad strokes efficiently. As you can see this results in a more softly blended sky, whereas the other two paintings display more distinct brushstrokes and a greater variation of colours.

I do truly love the light captured in ‘Mistral Sunrise’ especially the warm yellow ochres and subtle hints of orange. To me, these colours beautifully evoke the impression of a sunrise and the gentle, ever-changing light that marks the beginning of a new day.

You can see more paintings like this, as well as many others that feature a much stronger and more vibrant colour palette. Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have or if you would like detailed information about postage costs.