“The World is Wide”, a new post-impressionist dreamscape painting by Connecticut artist, Shannon Sorensen, inspired by Tolkien-esque fantastical landscapes that feel like a place we’ve known or seen. Within these worlds, great distances look close, new terrain and growth is revealed around every corner. Water flows and you’re not sure if you’re seeing fire or flowers.
Every time I am working on a painting, I reach a point where it needs to start taking shape and looking more finished. And some paintings progress quickly through this stage, while others, like this one, take a bit more time and work.
I started an 18x12” canvas painting on Monday, February 14, and it was full of warmth and felt very playful. The next day, I sat down again, and started adding some cooler tones, following the shapes and lines that I had established, and it felt good, but far from finished.
Over the next two days, I kept adding marks and layers, growing increasingly frustrated because I didn’t have any direction. At that point, I wanted to set it aside and give myself some time working on something new and fresh, because it was feeling overworked and stuck.
Evolution of a Painting
To store it in my small art space, I put a board up on my easel that another finished painting of the same dimension was still clipped to, and set the current piece under it while I figured out my storage solution.
I stepped back and just glanced at the two pieces lined up together on the board, blinked a couple times, and everything shifted.
One finished piece on top, displayed with this unfinished, overworked piece below it, it became clear to me that these two could and would work well together as a larger piece. The shapes started to make sense, and I was immediately excited to dig back into it again.
So here’s the finished piece, which I’ve called “The World is Wide”, inspired by Tolkien-esque fantastical landscapes that feel like a place we’ve known or seen. Within these worlds, great distances look close, new terrain and growth is revealed around every corner. Water flows and you’re not sure if you’re seeing fire or flowers.
The overall piece is 18” wide by 24” tall, two separate pieces of canvas attached and blended in the middle. I used acrylics, and both pieces of canvas were the last two pieces of recycled material that I had in my studio stash from another local artist.
Can you picture this in your home?
Prints and other home decor, lifestyle, stationary and accessories are available here.
Thanks for visiting! I hope you enjoy seeing my art, learning about my process, and feel inspired to explore your own creativity!
Shannon Sorensen is a full-time painter working from her home studio in Newington, Connecticut. If you are interested in showing her art through your gallery, place of business, or event, please contact Shannon with your inquiry.