The Spirit of Water VI ©John O’Grady
12″ x 12″ oil on panel, requires framing
SOLD
Across the sky, light and shade cast shadows upon land and sea.
The sun shines while rain falls. Moisture refracts the light, bouncing it through the air.
This is the jewel-like light you might come across in Ireland on a showery day.
Like ‘Spirit of Water V’, the square format of the painting has a swirling anti-clockwise motion that pushes out towards the edges of the panel whilst the eye is drawn through the vortex to the white cumulus clouds in the distance.
J.M.W. Turner, the romanticist English painter was the first to use the square format to showcase landscape. It was revolutionary considering the age he was painting in. Although radical, he knew what he was doing. The square balances his often explosive paintings that showed the visceral power of nature.
Like Turner, I sought to capture that life force.
What do you think?
I’ve enjoyed your paintings for a long time. Your explanation of aesthetics and techniques are interesting and usefully written to benefit others. Mahalo, thank you.
As you may see on my website, I also favor light and space with a meaningful reflection of calm and peace. This is the intention and purpose of my work; similar to aspects of your art.
Take care, be well, and aloha,
Aloha,
Michael
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Aloha Michael,
I hope you are keeping well, thank you for following my work and your thoughtful comment. I can see by your site, we have a common interest in light and space and particularly clouds, yours have a dream like quality and capture the heat of where you live I think. I wish you continued success, kind regards John.
Hello John, I found your comment about the format of ‘The Spirit of Water, VI’ very interesting and the impact of this is something I had not considered before. It seems to somehow contain the movement which tries to reach beyond the bounds of the picture frame in in doing so adds a tension. The light is delicate, fresh and luminous and I love the way you have allowed it to illumintae the fresh greens of the land. Many congratulations, Chris
Hello Christine,
I agree with you about the bounds of the picture frame and it containing the energy as the painting pushes out giving it a tension I think Turner put this to great in painting like the ‘Morning after the deluge. Thank you for your thoughtful insights.