For your inspiration today, I have curated a selection of sunrise and sunset paintings by the great Canadian artist, Tom Thomson. He had a knack for capturing these fleeting moments with brush and paint.
Many of these are studies done plein air (outdoors) and, I imagine, rapidly. He painted Sunset (below) from a canoe, immersed in nature and it’s brilliant display of color and light. These studies often formed the basis for more detailed works done back in the studio, but I find them to be quite charming in their own right. They appear rough but honest.
Anyway, enjoy these paintings. Pay attention to Thomson’s suggestive brushwork and how his strokes create movement in the sky, similar to what Vincent van Gogh did; how he was able to use rich, vivid colors without them appearing overdone; and how the paintings are simple in terms of composition, allowing color and light to be the dominant focus.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post. Feel free to share with friends. If you ever want to learn more, make sure to check out our new Sunrises and Sunsets Workshop.
Happy painting!
Dan Scott
