‘Yellow Orange Purple (A Night to Remember)’ acrylic on canvas, 610 x 510 mm, 2024. Available.
And what a night it was. As far as skies go, I think there is nothing yummier than clouds changing colour as the sun sets during a Canterbury nor’wester. I have painted this scene before (as ‘Red Sky at Night’ and also as ‘Warm Night, Southern Sky’) and I’m pretty sure I’ll be painting it again.
Photo reference
WIP 1
WIP 2
WIP 3
Final
With June’s exhibition fast approaching ~ as I knew it would ~ I wanted to include a few larger paintings (i.e. larger than the ones I usually paint). ‘Yellow Orange Purple (A Night to Remember)’ is the first of them ~ three more to go.
‘Getting There By Being Here’ acrylic on canvas, 405 x 510 mm, 2023. SOLD
Photo reference
WIP 1
WIP 2
Final
Many of my paintings start out as quickly snapped photographs taken through a car windscreen while driving somewhere (not while I’m driving ~ that would be silly ~ but when I’m a passenger, amusing myself on road trips). This one was taken somewhere between Amberley and Christchurch, late summer, 2021. It wasn’t the best photo I took of the amazing sky that followed us home that night but I liked the line of light through the trees on the horizon. The six little road markers very nearly didn’t make it into the painting ~ and now I can’t imagine it without them.
No haiku today. I think a sky on fire is poetry enough.
Warm Night, Southern Sky – acrylic on canvas, 605 x 910 mm, 2015. Private collection.
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.” W. H. Murray
As I mentioned last week, I’ve started preparing for this year’s Christchurch Art Show. It will be my first exhibition* and all artworks will be for sale. I’ll be surrounded by talented artists and awesome art (there’s a video of last year’s event on their website) and I’m a little nervous about it ― but when the opportunity presented itself last year (a nice lady from the show contacted me, having seen my work on this blog, and suggested that I apply), it seemed like the right ‘next step’ for me and my art. I’m now doing my best not to stress about it but I have quite a few large and large-ish canvases I need to paint in order to have enough work for the four-day exhibition. I’m telling myself: one painting at a time… and the show isn’t until June…
‘Warm Night, Southern Sky’ is the first of those canvases ― one down, (at least) six more to go.
My thanks to Kathie Pugaczewski for making me aware of the W. H. Murray quote.
Red sky at night, original photo – Christchurch, 2012
This is the second time I’ve used my ‘red sky at night’ photograph as a reference for a painting. The first was an ink and watercolour sketch (click hereto see the post).
* Strictly speaking, I have had student exhibitions and I did take my work to a mini market last year — this event, however, is much (much) bigger. And scarier. Onward and upward.
Through the trees — acrylic on canvas, 100 x 305 mm, 2014 (now SOLD)
I’ve just popped this up on Etsy and I’m already having second thoughts about selling it. I do hope that letting go of my favourites will get easier ― but I suspect it won’t.
Through the Trees — acrylic on canvas, 100 x 305 mm, 2014
This is one of the smallest paintings I’ve ever done! It’s based on this painting and this photograph that I posted last year. It may still be autumn (officially) in Christchurch but this month has felt a lot more like winter ― the sunny glow coming from this little canvas has been very welcome here in the art cave.
Anna Cull ~ Art & Music 