Carrigallen Sunset 1951

Frank Mason made this dreamy landscape, Carrigallen Sunset, with oil paint. It’s all about the light, right? How it softens the edges of everything. Looking closely, you can see Mason used these short, choppy strokes for the sky, like he's almost dabbing the paint on. This gives the clouds a soft, blurry kind of feel. And then down below, the trees and the land are rendered with these thicker, more confident strokes, anchoring the whole scene. I like the contrast, it makes the sky feel even more ephemeral. See that little patch of pinkish light just peeking through the trees? It’s so subtle, but it’s doing a lot of work, giving the whole painting this warm glow and sense of depth. It reminds me of a Turner sunset. You know, that same feeling of everything dissolving into light and color. It's a bit like trying to catch a feeling, a moment, before it slips away.