Cliffs at dawn

This is an abstract acrylic painting of cliffs over the ocean at dawn, with the emphasis on the light before sunrise. I like the texture and the wide range of earth colors. It's almost like looking at a prehistoric cave painting. Ochres never get old, we seem to be almost wired to like them. I'd like to think it's because for millions of years these would have been the first colors we saw when we were born, and they would mean we were in a safe cave or dwelling.

Cliffs at dawn - Acrylic on wood panel (20x20 in)

The colors are mixes of burnt sienna. yellow ochre, and burnt umber (and white and black of course). Burnt sienna is a beautiful earth color that has a deep rich red-orange tone. It looks great against the light yellow ochre and the duller burnt umber.

I used a couple of new techniques here. I applied a layer of dark acrylic over a glossy white enamel and then tore parts of the acrylic layer to reveal the white. Then I used a sponge to create the clouds. I then used a piece of cardboard to drag paint across and create the horizontal layer of the ocean. The cliffs are done on paper that I then collaged over with acrylic medium and retouched to blend with the ocean.