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12″ x 12″ x 1.5″ acrylic on canvas, ready to hang
SOLD
In this third Icarus painting, we are looking at a bruised and brooding sky.
Sunlight enters the artwork off stage to the left.
It plays a central role in the unfolding drama: it illuminates the cloud with a thin filigree of pure gold that captures our gaze.
Then, we start noticing the deep blue-grey of infinity…
The cloud is stretching out delicately as if it wants to touch the sun, like the craft.
We know the story, the higher it climbs, the more fragile it becomes. And then, it loses shape and fades.
This time, the painting is physically smaller but the scale within it is enormous. The cloud pulses and looms out of the picture plane.
Meanwhile, we barely notice Icarus the tiny craft that prepares to exit the painting.
Towards the bottom of the canvas, quieter sombre colours help to balance the burst of energy at the top. Colour shifts from gold to pink to light blues and into purple and indigo.
After finishing, I noticed it’s like viewing the painting through a filter of mist. It enhances its luminous quality.
What do you think of this third piece in the series? I’d love to hear.
For me this painting has a spiritual feel which I think is due to the way you have expertly created the ‘backlit’ effect which may sometimes be seen on a sunny day when storm clouds are gathering. The colours are glorious and the overall impact is strong and foreboding …and yet there is that light…symbol of hope which is uplifting. The billowing effect gives it a sense of yearning or reaching upwards and forwards. Congratulations on these magnificent clouds John!
Hello Chris,
Thank you for your comment. I think you’re right about the spiritual dimension. I was thinking when I finished the same thing and how it fits into the romantic tradition and the focus on the sublime and as you say the light gives it a feeling of hope although foreboding, which makes for an interesting combination.