Boundless
In the thin air of the Transylvanian heights,
there is a moment where the earth falls away and the sky becomes the only reality.
Măgura Codlei Mountain in Transylvania as seen from Râșnov Fortress
As we face the heavy pressures of our current world, I felt a deep need to paint a symbol of release. This isn't about the darkness of the mountains; it’s about the vast, open space above them where there is still room to breathe.
Măgura Branului, Bucegi Mountains
The Lightness of the Void
Unlike the moody, brooding skies often associated with the Carpathians, I’ve kept this background light and airy.
Using a wash of ultramarine thinned into a luminous, high-altitude blue, the sky feels infinite. . It represents the clarity we are all searching for: the "updraft" that allows us to see past the immediate struggle.
The Active Flight
The raven is caught in a moment of active, muscular flight. Its wings are fully engaged, cutting through the blue. To ground this obsidian figure in such a bright sky, I avoided flat blacks, instead building the feathers through a rich, vibrating harmony:
The Depth: Indigo and Paynes Gray provide the structural bone of the wings.
The Spirit: Layers of Yellow Ochre, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Purple, and Reddish Violet pulse within the shadows, giving the bird a sense of warmth and life.
The Friction: Touches of Ultramarine are pulled into the wingtips, as if the bird is literally staining itself with the sky it inhabits.
I worked to keep the air feeling weightless, a stark contrast to the bird’s powerful movement.
A Few Centimeters of Earth
At the very base of the canvas sits a thin strip of abstract land. Rendered in Raw Sienna and Purple, it is a blurred, grounded memory of the Transylvanian soil.
This narrow band represents the "hard times" we are all navigating globally: the grit, the history, and the weight of the world.
By keeping the land minimal and abstract, the painting acknowledges the struggle without letting it dominate the frame. It’s a reminder that no matter how heavy the earth feels, the sky remains open.
A Perspective of Resilience
“Boundless”, oil on linen, alla prima
This piece is an invitation to shift your gaze. The raven doesn't ignore the land below, but it isn't bound by it. It uses the very winds that cold mountain storms provide to lift itself higher.
May we all find that same strength to keep our wings moving, even when the air is thin.
💕