New work: Sunset Chroma, Purple and Yellow, oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches

Sunset Chroma, Purple and Yellow  Oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches  $2450 framed

There are so many sunsets to see and paint. Lately, I've been thinking about applying a soft, pastel-like palette to a good cloud composition and I finally made one happen. So much of this oil came about it a non-lineal way and that's a bonus.

Rather than trying to represent a scene accurately, different color combinations were being tried out. During that discovery process, the moment the aquas and the pale greens combined above the clouds, the oil immediately became much more interesting. I didn't plan on it - I had some aqua setting out from a previous painting session and I gave it a go. A lot of white was added - I figured too much, but it worked out beautifully and led me to use the other pale colors that followed.  

The mauve cloud mass in the center anchors the piece and provides 'shade' and a way to transition to the darker foreground. The entire scene is nicely lit but not too much. After all of the back and forth and sorting through endless options, a soft sunset emerged. 

I'm enjoying this view!