Do you often find yourself daydreaming of Fall Magic? I find that each year, Autumn gifts me with the most beautiful views, unique colors and atmospheres, especially when the sun lights up the golden trees and its fading light creates a never before seen pattern in the sky.
I painted this night sky painting for my sister Gosia. We wanted her to come along on a recent Tucson Road Trip with us but she couldn’t make it this time around. So in good spirit we brought her painting with us and it did some sightseeing for her, then we shipped it to her from Arizona.
For me its an extra treat to witness the brilliantly colored pinks and oranges creating a gentle gradient while a beaming, momentarily pink sun rises quickly from behind the mountains, creating this transient effect. I love that brief moment when the colors of the landscape become saturated with color after a long night – the mountains change seemingly having no color to having various shades of blue – it is such a lovely sight to see, as fleeting as it may be.
I strove to express the unique ambience of that brief magic hour when the colors of the landscape become more intense and vivid. Sometimes some hues seem to only last minutes, maybe less. But they sure make an impression that can often last a lifetime.
Right around the Summer Solstice, the weather warms up in the high country, the meadows green up and begin to be blanketed by colorful wildflowers. The surrounding mountains are lush and green and full of life.
This painting is inspired by a beaming, setting sun in the mountains. I love that brief magic hour when the colors of the landscape become more intense and vivid. The atmosphere is just right to intensify all the hues, not just in the sky but in the landscape itself.
The atmosphere is just right to intensify all the colors and momentarily make the landscape feel like its ablaze with warmth and color, creating a nearly unreal landscape. Yet those who spend a lot of time in the mountains may have been lucky enough to witness such a phenomenon. And if you have not seen a similar scene in person, I hope that it inspires you to seek it out.
I worked to create a unique scene inspired by various ways that the colors pink and lavender can be seen in nature while thinking of Winter. I’ve once seen a beautifully pinkish, violet night sky filled with incredible stars. I stood under it and wondered at the sight, ‘How could the sky feel pinkish at night? Magic!’. I’ve seen snow capped peaks appear a glowing pink due to the illusion created by the suns setting and rising rays.
Both the paintings in this post were inspired by wintry, star-filled nights that are present in the more remote Northern Rocky Mountains.
This painting is inspired by brilliantly colored sunsets in the mountains when not just the sky but also the mountains are veiled in vivid, rich colors.