Oil painting "Sky Falls" by Mark Nesmith

Sky Falls
Mark Nesmith
Oil on oil primed linen panel
5" x 7"
2014

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I spend a lot of time in my car. My daily commute is about 50 miles. Depending on the season and daylight savings time, I'm almost always driving down the interstate at either sunrise or sunset. It's the one saving graces of driving so far for my job.

As far as I'm concerned, if you see the sunset and aren't filled with a sense of awe there must be something wrong with your eyes or your soul. On this afternoon I was struck by the last rays of sun shooting out over the tops of the pine woods to illuminate the scattered bursts of clouds overhead.  

There's a big part of me that wants to keep working on this one, but I don't want to overwork it and get too fussy. Part of the magic a beautiful sunset is that it's a fleeting moment. I tried to keep the loose, spontaneous feel and sense of movement that sparked my imagination while still conveying a sense of the grandeur and sublime beauty only nature can provide.

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