Cognac Impasto Painting: A Wave Capturing the Evening Light by Surreal Media

First, look at the wave curling across the canvas in a slow arc. On the inside, it is creamy and light, almost like whipped cream. Beneath it, a broad stream of deep plum-red and cognac rolls downwards, full of fine grooves that follow the movement of the water. Above the horizon, a small white sun sinks into a sky of warm beige and soft gold, and its light glides towards you across the sea in a narrow beam. If you look more closely, you’ll see a single thin ridge of pale gold lying on the crest of the wave, a sliver of light that lingers precisely on the edge.

It began with that feeling of autumn: the days are growing shorter, the colours deeper, and you naturally seek out warmth. Stylists advise bringing warmer, deeper shades into the home at this time of year, and that struck a chord with me. I thought of the moment when the sea briefly gives back all the light the day has gathered.

The atmosphere is warm and rich, with a quiet depth. The darkest plum tones continue to glow, whilst the cream and gold keep the work open and light.

For me, this piece is about taking your time to look. The longer you stand there, the more layers you discover: the splashing foam, the lines in the water, the glow that seems to come from below. It is a digital artwork designed to look like thick, textured layers of paint, as if you could trace the ridges and grooves with your fingertips.

In a living room or dining room, it brings the tranquillity of an evening by the sea, without feeling cold. Perhaps it evokes memories of a beach you love to visit, or that one moment when you watched the sun go down and, for a moment, didn’t have to do anything. Even in an office, it can be the spot your gaze turns to when you want to take a breather.