john raynes “aspects of dawn”

‘Dawn – the emergence into the sun’s light as the earth turns...’

Every dawn is different, a spectrum of changing colours and light. For artist John Raynes, observing early morning skies has inspired a collection that is filled with a magical luminosity; the celebration of a new day.

Rising in the early hours, before the first crack of light appears, has been well rewarded. Raynes has found the experience uplifting, describing it as “always salutary and often magical”. Stripping back the content, water is a recurrent element, reflections emphasising the glow of light. Raynes describes how the light of each new day has inspired the changing palette of his paintings:

“At the first crack of dawn, sun and cloud may interplay in dramatic evocations of fiery furnaces while at the other end of the scale, total darkness gradually lightens in almost imperceptible shadings of grey to reveal cloud too thick and overall for even the oranges and reds to penetrate. And it’s not just in the direction of the sun that dawn light is so specific – turn around and look at the effect of low angle, reduced intensity light on the rest of the view. Areas of shade seem to coalesce and lit areas take on an unaccustomed gentler colour. Views well known in other lights look strangely new.”

A master of his art, these scenes of light and dark are skillfully rendered, built up in layers over weeks of painting. Working in oil on board in his studio, Raynes’ fascination with abstract shape is visible in the overlaid patterns of light reflected. The result is a rich impression, a visual feast to return to again and again.

Chloe Wild Beside The Wave 2012