Exploring the Ocean by Night

Have you ever been to the ocean at night? If the moon is out, you may be able to see tiny slivers of it's light reflecting off the oceans surface. On a dark, moonless night, it may be nearly impossible to see much at all. The sound of crashing waves and scent of the salty air seem amplified, when they become your only way of taking in what you struggle to see in the darkness.

Katharine Burns, Constancy, 30" x 30", oil on panel

 Katharine Burns' latest body of work, "Eventide" offers us a glimpse into the magical world of the ocean at night. Through each piece, we are transported to the ocean's edge, standing before the great untameable force of the water. In her paintings Katharine captures the nuance of each wave as if it were a living, breathing creature.

Katharine Burns, Flux, 30" x 30", oil on panel

 Katharine often begins with a photograph as inspiration for her works. However, capturing night scenes with a camera can be very challenging, so she had to improvise, creating areas of light and shadow from memory and imagination.

Katharine Burns, Moon's Pull, 30" x 30", oil on panel

The realist qualities Katharine achieves in her work are effortlessly convincing, even in works where the source of light feels mysterious. In her closer up depictions of waves, the foreground is illuminated in stark contrast to a completely darkened background, creating a sort of intimate viewpoint that almost feels as if we as viewers are shining a light out into the dark water.

Katharine Burns, Reverie, 30" x30", oil on panel

In her painting "Reverie", Katharine draws an interesting parallel to photography in the way she creates a "sharpened" focal point that draws the eye to a particular area of the composition, while the foreground fades into a soft blur that appears "out of focus". It's really interesting to see this effect in a painting!

It's evident that the works in this show were created by someone with a deep connection to the water. From the vast array of blues and greens in the chosen color palette to the incredible movement present in the works, Katharine is able to convey every aspect of the ocean like it is a dear friend. Seeing the works in person, it's not hard to conjure up the sounds and smell of the ocean, as if you were truly there.

Katharine's work is on view at the gallery now, so hurry by to see it all for yourself!