Troels Kirk

Skane, Sweden, September Morning, acrylic, 81 x 100 cm

Finalist My Inspiration

More and more I find my landscape subjects close to home. Revisiting favorite places at all seasons will reveal new details, new compositional possibilities, new lighting. Early morning is definitely my favorite time of the day. In September the nights in southern Sweden get cooler, bringing beautiful morning mists down in the valley north of our village. Waiting for just the right moment immediately before the sun broke the quiet, soft mist I suddenly saw this potential painting. From many previous sketches I know this place very well, so

I just carefully observed and memorized the scene, the light and color range, to be able to re-create it in my studio.

My Design Strategy

Back in the warm, cozy studio I doodled a couple of compositional sketches from memory, endeavouring to recreate the mood of my pleasant morning walk. The trees on the banks of the little river serve as the main focal point, with the strongest contrast and detail level. They are balanced against the large green, almost featureless, foreground field to the left. The slinging dirt roads and tractor tracks lead the eyes into the painting and further into the mist. They are intentionally somewhat mirrored by the highlight cracks in the sky. This way of balancing the composition is always a main ingredient in my preparations.

My Working Process

The canvas received a blue-grey coat gradually adding zinc white for the soft transition into the misty center. Then followed a series of smooth glazes to obtain the almost airbrush-like finish to the mist. I opened the cracks in the sky with bold strokes of pure white. When dry, I scumbled the cracks with a mix of white and unbleached titanium to simulate the intensity of the light behind the cloud cover. Landscape details in the mist were painted as subdued as possible, before adding more mist glazes. Fields and roads were painted in cooler tones toward the back, warmer in front. Again a glaze or two added a bit of mist in the back. Finally the foreground trees and details were added in full strength colors.

Contact Details » Email: info@troelskirk.com » Website: www.troelskirk.com