New Work: Finding the Heat in High Contrast
There is a specific kind of summer afternoon where the air is so heavy, you don't just feel the temperature—you SEE it. That blinding, overwhelming sensation of peak summer is exactly what I wanted to capture in my latest piece, "Facing the Heat." This painting is currently on display at the Lunenburg Art Gallery as part of the Sand, Sea and Sky group exhibition.
The Challenge of a Smaller Canvas
If you’ve followed my work for a while, you know I usually love to move across larger surfaces. Working on a much smaller scale at just 8x10 inches was a massive shift in gravity.
When you compress an expressive portrait down to this size, every single movement matters. I wanted to keep the application loose, intuitive, and immediate, but a smaller canvas demands a different level of focus. Every brushstroke had to be made with absolute intention. There was no room to hide a lazy mark or overwork a section—it required a delicate dance between restraint and raw energy.
Radiating Warmth Through White Space
The biggest conceptual hurdle was making a painting feel intensely hot while using a color palette dominated by white.
Usually, we associate heat with heavy, dense blocks of warm tones. Here, I wanted the background to mimic that overexposed, bleached-out quality of a scorching afternoon sun. By keeping the vast majority of the space stark and light, the figure has to carry the full weight of the temperature.
To push the vibrancy even further, I experimented with the shadows. Alongside my usual primary magenta, I introduced a deep, dominant teal for the cooler values. It created a brilliant, vibrating contrast against the blazing yellow and orange underpainting peeking through. The teal shadows don't just ground the figure; they make the surrounding whites feel like they are actively shimmering with heat.
Part of a Shared Horizon
"Facing the Heat" doesn't stand entirely alone. It is part of a thematic trilogy created specifically for the gallery show, sitting alongside two other pieces that explore different facets of our coastal summers—from the relentless gaze of a local beach gull to a vintage-inspired figure wading by the shore. Seeing them lined up on the easel together really emphasized how much fun it was to push the boundaries of scale and color for this series.
See it in Person
If you are in the area, please go check out the Sand, Sea and Sky show at The Lunenburg Art Gallery! Opening is Friday, July 3 from 5pm. I'll be there, come say "Hi!" The show runs until August 1, gallery hours: Wednesday - Sunday from 11am - 4pm.
