Pastel on mounted sanded paper. 18 x 12.  This pastel captures the charged moment when the horizon ignites and the sky fractures into bands of color. Billowing clouds, rendered in layered teals, sea-greens, and smoky blues, collide with streaks of crimson and molten orange. The contrast between cool atmospheric mass and burning light creates a palpable tension across the composition.
Below, the water becomes a reflective field of softened golds, rose, and deepened shadow, absorbing the drama above while maintaining its own quiet rhythm. The surface is built through layered pastel strokes, allowing pigment to vibrate and blend optically rather than fully merge — heightening luminosity.