Those who follow me on Facebook or Google+ will know that we recently had, here in Scotland and much of northern England, a fantastic display of the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. These shimmering displays are absolutely beautiful, and truly one of nature's wonders. At the time, I had several requests for a painting of the lights but I was engaged in commission work at the time. Well, a couple of weeks later, here they are! When you see them, the lights do not appear altogether, but shimmer constantly, lighting up one part of the sky and then another. You need time-lapse photography to see the kind of images that people think of when they think of the Aurora. Here, I have done the watercolour equivalent! I have tried to convey the movement and 'fizz' of the lights with quick and carefree brushstrokes against a dark, starry sky, to reproduce my impressions of the scene rather than being too literal. Down below, the calm waters of this little loch at the edge of my local woods reflect the colours of the sky serenely. Even though the sky was very dark for our display, I didn't want a dark painting so I have used the lights to illuminate the countryside, especially the distant hill, and silhouette the trees. I have also devoted most of the painting to the sky and the water to produce a bright and colourful picture, despite the darkness of the scene. I love the feeling of tranquillity in the painting, as the Aurora dances its silent dance in the starry sky. This is an eye-catching and evocative painting, which I don't want to take off the board as it keeps drawing me back! I'm proud to add it to my 'Inspirations' Gallery, which is clearly where it belongs!
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AuthorA professional artist living and working in the beautiful north of Scotland. My work is realistic and quite traditional, though strongly interpretational in nature. My inspiration is the beauty of Nature, and the wonderful colours and moods she shows everywhere. Archives
April 2022
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