A Golden Hour of Silence!

Finito, at last ''A Golden Hour of Silence!'' and here it is, 

A Golden Hour of Silence 

I read a lovely quote from Henri Frederic Amiel, Swiss writer, poet, diarist and philosopher, 

''Every landscape is, as it were, a state of the soul, and whoever penetrates into both is astonished to find how much likeness there is in every detail.'' 

Henri Frederic Amiel

Hmmm, what does this say about me and my painting, quite a lot! I never wanted to be a landscape painter; too uncool, too romantic, too done to death and now, I can’t imagine painting anything else ….. landscape painting has never been more important. 

In the years that I've been painting, sketching and taking photos here where I live, I've become so aware of how the landscape is changing, housing is encroaching in areas where previously fields and wildlife were free to roam. My favourite place to paint, was a wee inlet from a local canal, previously with one or two houses is now the centre of a whole street and the water has already got slicks of oil (presumably) floating on the surface. Of course, the population is increasing and housing is essential but then painting the landscape is also essential; coming generations will not see what I've been fortunate enough to see and paint. 

If the environment has become so important, recording it for posterity must also be important, it will never look like this again! 

Every landscape is a state of the soul, and what does this painting say about my soul; love and turmoil! I have a restless spirit, there is a lot going on in my life/mind at the moment but being at this place gave me a golden hour of silence. Time to sit back, enjoy the flow of the water, the play of the grasses and enjoy the warm glow of a golden hour. Silence is golden.