What drew me to this scene wasn’t the sunset at its peak — it was the subtlety just before. Those brief moments when the intensity is about to vanish, and the shimmer across the water stops shouting and starts whispering. That’s the moment this painting lives in.

The anchored sailboats are done for the day. The harbor has exhaled. What remains is a soft amber glow suspended over the water — familiar somehow, even if you can’t quite name it.

To create that veiled, atmospheric quality in the sky, I worked in thin, layered passages, allowing the light to filter through gradually. The water is built up with thicker strokes — a calm, rippled surface catching what’s left of the fading light. That push and pull between softness and structure is what held my interest throughout the painting.

Scroll through the slideshow below to view close-up details.

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