This 48” x 24” oil painting, View of Burlington Bay by the Skyway Bridge, is charged with so much drama and emotion. It features sweeping clouds at sunset over the water in the Bay. Four cargo ships are scattered across the bay, but the real focal point is the vibrant yellow sun peaking through the clouds.
Inspiration and source image
I took the source image from the passenger side of a car while driving over the Skyway Bridge in April of this year. It wasn’t until July when I was going through my photos that I noticed it.
It felt dramatic, and I wanted to create a painting that expressed that energy and moodiness.
At this stage, I knew I wanted to make some composition changes such as moving the position of the boats and emphasizing the sweeping movement of the clouds.
Scale and material
I felt a large canvas would make the most of this dramatic imagery, so I selected a 48” x 24” gallery depth canvas. I like this scale of artwork over a couch, headboard or in a dining room. It also functions well in a lobby or office space.
Underpainting
I used a burnt sienna pigment washed out with mineral spirits to block out my values and composition. One reason I like to do this is getting my drawing right at the beginning saves a lot of time later. But mostly, I enjoy when the underpainting peaks through the paint. It gives the painting a cohesive feeling.
Colour selection
For this sunset painting, I used a fairly limited colour pallet. Titanium white, alizarin crimson, phthalo blue, medium cadmium yellow, and a tiny bit of cadmium orange. The dark stripe that represents the shore is a mix of these colours with the exception of white.
Favourite sections this sunset painting
The colours in this painting are so exciting to look at. Of course, I love the transition from yellow-orange to violet. But one part which I think is understated is the little lights on the shore. Combined with the cargo ships, it’s what gives the clouds their scale making them feel massive and engulfing the viewer.
I hope you enjoy this painting too! This artwork is currently available as a canvas print in a variety of sizes.
