Sunsets, 2010

Sunsets (2010)

I have a fascination with sunsets but not sunrises because I do not like getting up early in the morning! Whenever it is time for the sun to leave me, I quickly go outside to see what is happening. All the real magic happens within 5 minutes. I look and observe. What are the colours in the sky? What is the colour of the atmosphere? Where are the reflections of sunlight? Everything changes by the second. The colour is at its peak when the sun reaches the horizon, reflecting on the clouds, water, tree trunks, and any other reflective surface.

Watching the drama of sunsets is something I have been doing since I was a child. During my childhood it was often very difficult to see the sunset because I lived in Belgium. The weather was frequently bad so it was difficult to see anything because of the thick clouds, rain, wind, and long winter nights. We also had to be in bed at 7pm. In India I have many more opportunities to indulge my love of sunsets.

One of my favourite albums is an old one by the Moody blues, it is called the Days of Future Past. The album includes lovely songs that mark the different moments of the day, including evening sunsets.

One day I was quite emotional while looking at a lovely sunset in India. I decided right then that I should make a painting in honour of my passion for sunsets.

I made the base for the painting using spray paint of the same kind that street artists use on walls. After preparing the background, I used a template to spray the sun in the middle of the painting. Next, I used acrylic paint to make very special clouds. If you look carefully at the clouds, you will see that they are composed of small suns. The small suns in the clouds were painted with a very old paintbrush that had no long hair whatsoever anymore, the tip of the brush had become kind of round. All I had to do was dip the old round brush into the paint and I was immediately able to create a little sun.

I have used the effect of shadow underneath the clouds to give a three-dimensional feel, as if things are coming towards the viewer. The shadows also represent the truth of shadows in our lives.

I would like to emphasize that I study and adhere to Eastern philosophy. This includes focusing as much as possible on living in the present and not thinking too much about the past or the future. This painting reflects this concept of time. After all, the sun is what keeps time for us. Accordingly, this painting is about the past, present, and future, with an emphasis on the present.  The cool burnt out suns of the past are in blue. The future is shown as the small suns in pink. The big red sun indicates the present of today.

I love this painting!