Fog on the Lake

Fog on the Lake, 2021, oil on linen, 40.5 x 50.75 cm

The trickiest thing about painting fog is to get the right balance between mist and clarity. If too misty, then there is nothing to engage with and if too clear the sense of fog is absent. Painting nature's modes is primarily achieved through imagination. Though I paint the landscapes at the sight, the scene is never the same each time I return there, The reason I do return is that the initial idea that inspired the work seems to be there when I resume the sittings, and it's this idea that has the most importance rather than the scene in front of me.

 

Fire and Rain

Fire and Rain, 2021, oil on canvas, 50 x 60 cm 

This painting is a variation on the other two paintings with fire as a main part of the composition. Painting a grassy hill is quite a challenge as there are no large objects to lead the eye over the land. I could have put some in, but sometimes it's good to challenge oneself for the sake of it.

Most of the painting was completed up to the point where I was ready to add the rain. Although I used a very fine brush to do it, the paint was applied as thick as I could get it because as soon as the brush touched the canvas a dollop of paint appeared as if it was a raindrop. After that I moved the brush towards the top of the painting as this had the effect as if a body of water was falling and leaving a tail behind, which is what it does.