Walking among these massive sea stacks at sunset, the tide just beginning to come back in, I am struck by the scale and otherworldly quality of the landscape—This volcanic landscape born of cataclysm. Rows of metamorphic rock tilting out of the sand draw the eye to towering sea stacks topped with ancient trees, and concealing sea caves within. The sea stacks, composed of rock one hundred and forty four million years old, have faces repeating the same angles in the foreground stones.
In this large painting I used molten colors contrasted with violet and blue tones to echo the fiery creation of this site. Bravura brushwork and impasto paint further communicate the energy and power of the coastal landscape. I am so pleased with this evocation of my favorite spot in our state, and a beautiful evening spent on that reflective plane between the fiery skies and pounding surf.
Brian Mahieu, October 2022
Close-ups Showing Detail and Texture
