Thorpe Cloud Painting

I’ve been a couple of times to draw Thorpe Cloud from a new view point. It’s a wonderful view, almost directly opposite the valley of Dovedale, with the sweeping hillside of Bunster on the left and a small collection of buildings in front of the hills, as well as the drama of Thorpe Cloud itself.

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I have started the painting in a red theme, a challenging main colour. I want it to glow with heat. When I was doing the drawing everything in sight was green (except the sky) but I kept thinking that it needed to be red. I have to convey space, light, movement and everything with reds.

I love Rose Hilton’s red paintings, such as Rose Hilton’s, Apollo.

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And the red Abstract Expressionist painting by Barnett Newman, Barnett Newman’s Vir Heroica Sublimis

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Barnett Newman was creating a spiritual experience for the viewer, overwhelming the viewer with a field of intense colour. Although the Rose Hilton is a smaller painting it has a similar effect of overwhelming your senses with intense, unexpected colour.