This is the day No.2 - Original Oil Painting

Original oil painting on canvas

60cm x 120cm (framed)

This is the second in a series of new paintings I produced for the Artists Open Houses Festival this year.  It was, in fact, the first painting I produced for the series and where, by accident, I decided to add some stars into the dark patch on the top right, with a reflection - a glimpse of the universe, below right.

When I stood back, I realised I had painted what looked like an entire day.  I liked the notion of expressing a sense of wonder in the transition of each 24 hour cycle, the inherent mystery of the stars, the ordinary miracle of the sunrise, of the way light moves and of possibility of renewal. I started to think about the fact that we - in a way - are brand new, every single day - is it possible for us to think that way? 

I really enjoyed the work whilst painting this series, partly because, for the first time I landed on a theme, but mainly because I created them entirely from imagination. There is nothing more beautiful than nature, the adventure of it - of being within it, in awe of it. I suppose it must all seep in somewhere and come out in the work.

This is a striking, large landscape, in which I wanted to balance abstract and figurative elements.  It has a gloss varnish for a really vibrant finish and is set inside a black, solid wood, textured box frame. The wider canvas offers a unique panorama effect.  It's a painting that feels like setting forth on a journey, an adventure into the unknown.