Sunlit Trees

This painting began as a small study for a larger work, yet it carries a vitality and completeness that allows it to stand confidently on its own. The composition captures the fleeting moment of sunset light filtering through a network of branches and leaves, creating a lively interplay between dark tree forms and glowing colour.

Loose, expressive brushstrokes build a canopy of warm reds, rusts, and burnt oranges, suggesting foliage illuminated by the last light of the day. Dark, twisting branches weave through the composition, anchoring the painting and guiding the eye upward into the vibrant sky beyond. Behind the foliage, soft tones of pale cream and blue hint at distant light and open air.

The brushwork is energetic and spontaneous, giving the painting a sense of movement, as if the leaves are gently shifting in the evening breeze. Though originally intended as a preparatory sketch, the richness of colour and confident marks give the work a lively presence, capturing the warmth and atmosphere of sunset with immediacy and charm.