James Ellison
"Fire on Water"
pastel
print, edition limited to 395
image size: 12 in x 9 in

This seascape is of a sunset at Carona Del Mar. The original is an 18"x 24" pastel completed in 1991.

At first this is a simple sunset on the ocean, but as you watch you begin to feel as if you are being pulled toward the sun. The radiating design with the center being the sun causes this. Everything in this picture is structured along the implied lines of the radii. The tops and the bottoms of the clouds form some of the radial lines. The light reflecting off the waves and the shadows form more diagonal lines. The mass of the rocks are also formed along these radii pointing to the sun. But because they are on the left and get smaller to the right, they create a sense of a driving wedge which turns the radiating pattern from explosive to implosive. The yellows and oranges of the sunlight in the sky and on the water are power colors giving a joyous energy that delights the eye and exhilarates the spirit. The reds and violets on the distant water and the clouds create a mystical sense of a passionate search. The blue sky overhead is like a canopy of peace. The browns, blacks and grays of the rock jetty give a sense of imminent strength and anticipation of some potential to be realized. The sun is Christ who is drawing us to himself and the future. His light radiates into every part of our lives, even the shadows. The reflection of this light on the shore is a foretaste of the kingdom to come. The triangular rock, which is the church, stands like a sentinel with the other rocks pointing the way.

The Bible text which I have selected for this picture is Isaiah 43:13a.