Visiting Hong Kong in 2013 provided a major addition to my subject matter. I had never really considered painting cities before but here there is a quality of light that transforms skyscrapers into rising pillars of light. My first view of across the harbor a sunset stays with me as a very powerful image. The humidity creates a very beautiful light that simplifies form. As daylight fades thousands of lights begin to appear in buildings around the bay, transforming the scene.
Hong Kong – Lights is part of a large series of paintings based on the city. The starting point was this view across the harbor as natural light fades. It was my aim to find a fine balance between subject matter and paint handling, where the two are equally important. For me the most vital element was trying to capture the spirit of the place. The main area of interest is the lower half of the painting where the paint is freely applied with both palette knife and brush. There is also a suggestion of water echoing the vertical forms above.