What Artists Live For!

I've said before that sometimes paintings just create themselves. I woke up this morning, wandered outside and was completely entranced by the sunrise. A streak of low cloud was brilliantly lit from below by the rising sun low across the horizon. The bottom of the cloud was glowing a golden colour while the tops remained darker and red-blue, meanwhile the rest of the sky seemed to alternate between blue and a hint of crimson. It always pays to keep your painting equipment close to hand and in 2 minutes I was out there painting. The light changes by the minute during sunrise so speed was essential to get the main elements on to the paper; the rest I could work at a slower pace. I was just wondering what added sparkle I could add when the arc of the sun burst over the roof of the foreground building. Perhaps if I'd planned it, it might all have been in a day's work. But I hadn't planned it, and that is what I mean when I say that sometimes it seems the painting just wanted to happen! Now it's done I love this piece for its spontaneity, its beautiful colours and the way the foreground buildings and trees show almost no detail: I wanted to focus attention on the sky. I know I keep saying I enjoy my paintings but this morning felt like a mini-adventure - as an artist, this morning was the kind of thing I live for!

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