Light Beyond the Pines

Light Beyond the Pines began with a memory of winter.

A few years ago, around Christmas and New Year, I travelled to Norway and Finland. I remember the night skies, the forests and that particular feeling of being surrounded by an incredible landscape while also being absolutely freezing. When I came home to the UK, I wanted to hold on to some of that feeling and see if I could put it onto canvas.

I was especially drawn to the contrast between the almost pitch-black line of the pine trees and the beautiful brightness of the night sky above them. Rather than trying to reproduce the landscape exactly, I went with the feeling and let the painting develop from the memory.

For me, the finished work is less about a particular place and more about that moment — standing somewhere surrounded by darkness, cold air and an enormous sky, and feeling completely absorbed by it.

I hope when you look at Light Beyond the Pines, you see the beauty of the night rather than something dark or frightening. There is darkness here, but there is also plenty of light beyond it.

Dimensions: 40 × 50 × 1.5 cm
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Signed: By Hoza