diptych – part 1 and part 2 (92, 93)
Painted in July/Aug, 2025. Diptych, each canvas is 40”x30”.
Acrylic on stretched canvas. Price, each canvas is $1,200.00 Cdn., or together $2,000.00 Cdn. (Unframed.)
Summer sunsets on the Salish Sea are some of the most serene experiences you can imagine. Everything becomes quiet and still. The ocean is smooth with just a few ripples to break the mirror surface and there is only the slightest amount of bird song to interrupt this pure moment of Zen. The great Blue Herons that line the shore become the perfect sentinels during this golden hour. They stand motionless as if they are fully immersed in the sunset experience. The light from the setting sun is almost orange as it shines through the thick summer air, turning the islands into coloured shapes with few details.
This was a challenging painting for several reasons. It was the first diptych I’ve ever painted, which required a lot of planning since each panel needs to be able to exist as a separate painting and work together as well. This involved a lot of trial and error. Since my painting technique requires laying thin coats of different colours to get a richer result, keeping things consistent was more difficult than you would think.
The second challenge I found was to create a balance between dark shapes, both within a painting and across the two paintings. I needed the herons to stand out against the background but feel like they are part of the landscape, not just pasted on top. I also wanted the eye to wander and explore the landscape without being led off the painting.
Finally, this painting is reflective of coastal summer sunsets where the atmosphere is thick and the light becomes all shades of yellow and orange. The sun, the sky and the water interpret this orange hazy light with subtle differences.
My original goal for this painting was to create a landscape that was warm, relaxed and comforting. Now that it’s hanging in our bedroom, I can say that it’s accomplished my intention.
