Sea Sky

This painting, Sea Sky, is another merging of my Tree of Life imagery with an image from my trip to Belize.

Sea Sky. 16" x 12", Oil on Canvas, © 2016 Cedar Lee
Sea Sky. 16″ x 12″, Oil on Canvas, © 2016 Cedar Lee

Here is the sky that inspired this painting:

Belize sunset. Photo by Cedar Lee
Belize sunset. Photo by Cedar Lee

I took this photo with my cell phone, while standing in the water! This was the sun setting on a perfect day in paradise. My friends and I had traveled to a relatively secluded spot called Secret Beach, at the northern tip of Ambergris Caye, where the water was perfect for swimming–shallow enough to walk very far out from the shore. In the full sun of daytime, the water is clear blue all the way to the white sand of the ocean floor.

So for the painting, I used my photo to capture the basic shapes of those incredible cloud formations, with the sun low against the horizon.

Detail: Sea Sky. 16" x 12", Oil on Canvas, © 2016 Cedar Lee
Detail: Sea Sky. 16″ x 12″, Oil on Canvas, © 2016 Cedar Lee

From that point on, imagination took over. The Tree of Life in the foreground is similar in shape and color to the Tree of Life in my last painting, Release. It’s obviously fantasy, as a tree like this would never exist right near the ocean like this.

But what a place! I would love to be here under this tree, feeling the salt on my skin and listening to the gentle waves.

Detail: Sea Sky. 16" x 12", Oil on Canvas, © 2016 Cedar Lee
Detail: Sea Sky. 16″ x 12″, Oil on Canvas, © 2016 Cedar Lee

The painting wrapping around onto the edges of the canvas gives an additional three-dimensional look to the scene.

Sea Sky. 16" x 12", Oil on Canvas, © 2016 Cedar Lee
Sea Sky. 16″ x 12″, Oil on Canvas, © 2016 Cedar Lee

Only 3 weeks until my Spring Sale opens to the public! I’ll be working in the studio every day until then, hoping to add as many new pieces as possible to the sale–but for those curious, click here for a list of what I will have, so far.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top