Something of a new departure for me this acrylic, ink and graphite Landscape.When I created this painting, my goal wasn’t to document a specific scene or recognisable view. Instead, I wanted to work with the idea of atmosphere that shifting sense of light and landscape that feels at once real and imagined. I often begin without a strict plan, letting the paint and the surface suggest directions. In this case, I used acrylics and ink on paper, layering and scraping with a credit card, allowing earlier marks to remain visible even after new layers were added. That process leaves a kind of history on the surface. If you look closely, you can see scratches, faint lines, and areas where the underpainting peeks through, giving the sense that the piece has lived through several stages before arriving here.
The colours are deliberately earthy. I gravitated toward umbers, ochres, and burnt oranges because they carry warmth and familiarity. They remind me of soil, of autumn, of weathered wood or rusting metal, materials that change slowly over time. Against those tones, I introduced a large, pale opening at the center, almost glowing against the darker surroundings. It isn’t a literal sun or a clear horizon, but it behaves like one, anchoring the eye and pulling you into the distance. That balance between solidity and openness is important in this painting.
I like paintings that suggest rather than declare. Some people have told me they see cliffs and a river running through to the horizon, others imagine a city softened by haze. For me, both readings are true, and neither is wrong. I see the work as a dialogue between opposites, light versus shadow, calm versus energy, chaos versus order. The scribbled textures and rough marks bring intensity and movement, while the pale central glow provides calmness and space.
Working at a small, square format 30x30 centimeters brings an intimacy to the piece. You can take in the whole image with a single glance, yet if you lean in closer you’ll notice more, the layering of tones, the way the textures catch the light, the little lines hidden under the paint. I like that duality immediate impact combined with quieter discoveries over time. The painting doesn’t insist on one interpretation or one story.
I used Golden Open acrylics which gives me more time to manipulate the paint and a credit card to apply it and scrape back the paper is 300gsm Italian handmade,
Light breaks through the earth,
textures whisper memory,
horizon unfolds.
©️GRW2025
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