Peak-Time II, ©John O’Grady 2015
Oil on deep edged canvas, 20″ x 20″ x 1.75″
It does not require framing and is ready to hang.
SOLD
Some things I feel precious about but changing or destroying a painting is not one of them.
Nearly a year ago I painted ‘City of Tiny Lights II’ and published it on this blog.
The painting didn’t fly and in hindsight, I understand why: not enough contrast, poor composition and I also remember the difficulty I had in trying to capture the time when it’s still light but the city lights have just come on. Here it is:
I have been looking at this painting and last week, something clicked. ‘The Blue Hour II’ helped me to find an anchor and a symmetry that was missing from the original.
What I wrote a year ago still applies to the new piece:
‘As shown in the series “Take me to the Island”, I am drawn to solitary viewpoints on the edge of something, looking out across the sea to an island or looking at the city from a place of silence, wondering what lives people lead there…
A city has a different feel to an Island but when looking at a city at night, the glow of the lights suggests the magical, the mysterious and the beguiling. It’s poetry. Emotions, experiences, life and death are all played out in all their richness in a city.’
The addition of the moon at mid point gives a balance and stillness to the piece whilst in the lower part, the frenetic movement of the cars at rush hour with the acid colour of the car lights and city lights send a pink glow skyward.
The result is richer in colour, depth, contrast and atmosphere than the original painting. I changed the title as well. It seems to follow the theme of the previous ‘Peak-Time’ #260 painting.
I’d love to hear what you think.
John, not only does it fly, but it sings! It sings of all that you describe above, all that one finds in the illuminated island of a city as night approaches. It is enchanting, and I love it. Thank you.
Hello Rachel,
Thank you very much, what a difference a year makes. I felt a little progress has been made in that time
These are stunning John! It is a joy to see how your expression is growing. These have such a depth and richness. Thank you for sharing your beautiful work with the world. 🙂
Hello Gabriel,
I hope you are well.
Thank you very much for your comment, I do appreciate your kind words.
regards
John
Rachel said it very well, John. The physical elements of this painting clearly work better, but you have also imbued the mundane activities of a city seen from a distance with the kind of mystical light and emotion that I usually associate only with the natural world, or of our memories or perceptions of it. The reflected lights scattered in the darkness are especially beautiful and evocative. And the moon quietly anchors it all as a reminder of the stillness away from human activity. There’s a lovely balance at work here, and an exploration (again) of opposites, transitions, or where opposing forces meet. Just stunning.
Hello Jo,
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I agonised over this piece trying to balance detail with abstraction. As always you hit the nail on the head the ‘opposites and transitions’ seems to be where the work is at.
Well done John, ps: I also liked the original but… 🙂
Thanks Eoin, oops! 🙂
I like it very much…in another life, I did a fair amount of flying (domestically, and when flying was a pleasure, not what it is today) and I always enjoyed the “night vision” from the plane. I remember flying into Seattle and the glow of the city at night. The return flight was in the morning and we were treated with the sight of Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Hood, in one vista, all part of the Pacific’s “Ring of Fire”. However, one of the most beautiful sights was flying into Halifax, Nova Scotia, one night and the pilot kindly told us to look out on the left side of the plane and there was the Aurora Borealis in all it’s splendor with Halifax’s glistening below us. In many ways Peak-Time ll, brought to mind all of these experiences. Thank you, John!
Hello Terry.
They all sound like really special memories, particularly the Northern lights which I have never seen. You know it never crossed my mind some people have seen this painting as an aerial piece, which is absolutely fine, but as I was painting it Terry I was imagining myself looking from a hilltop down on the traffic flowing out of Dublin. So I went back to look at the painting and it does look like an aerial piece 🙂
Glad it brought back some memories.
kind regards to you both
The effects of humankind on nature is beautifully depicted in Peak-Time II as the colour and glow of the city lights are reflected in the sky. It has depth, warmth, mystery and a pleasing symmetry; many congratulations John.
Hello Christine,
Thank you very much for your insightful comment. I agree it is the symmetry and what is unfolding above and below the horizon that the painting hinges on.