"Intense Island", ile de la La Reunion

Inspired by Sunrise on the Saguenay , an oil painting by Lucius R. O'Brien painted in 1880, this is a scene from Ile de la Reunion in the Indian Ocean. The sun was just about to set as we sat on a park bench overlooking the crashing waves. In the far right of the painting where the water meets the sky you can see part of the highway, which actually wraps around the old volcanic cliff which is slowly crumbling into the sea at great peril to the motorists. A few palm trees are perched atop the mountain, following the ridgeline to the left (East) would bring you to the town of La Montagne where a bsutling community exists, with a great view. The nickname for the island is "intense island" partly to do with the rugged wilderness and hot/rainy climate, but also the falling rocks, sharks and potential for molten lava.

Trying to capture a rapidly setting sun on location is never easy, especially since the effects the sun produces are quite elaborate. I started with a warm layer of grey in the shape of the mountain, I made the mountain a cooler purple farther from the sun, to give that sense of a hot sun burning through a muggy day. I added several layers of texture, leaving the area just below the sun without any texture to give the impression that the sun was totally blurring out the image of the mountain. The water was done using a similar technique, except the contrast between the highlighted areas and the water was more profound, and I also tried to maintain areas of reflected sunlight throughout the water especially in areas where the waves were active. To the leftmost of the painting I added in some yellows and greens, by doing this I enhance the illusion that the bright setting sun is bleaching out the colours. The energy of the waves was captured with a few decisive, squiggly brushstrokes.

11x15" cold press, 2011