Australian painter Ashley Harkness creates contemporary acrylic paintings which are heavily influenced by environmental and natural elements. Many of his works are made specifically for interior designers, architects, high-end homes, and businesses seeking an ultra-modern twist on the classic landscape.
Ashley attacks the canvas with brilliant texture and color, alternating between warm and cool tones for finished paintings that are both serene and powerful. No doubt Australia’s lonely landscapes, soaring skies and crashing coasts play a huge part in acting as Ashley’s artistic muse.
Hot Horizon is certainly one of his more expressly abstract pieces, but I can still perceive an infinite skyline and scorching sunset.
As red and blue meet in all their glory, Ashley adds intricacy to this minimalist painting by overlapping his brighter hues with darker notes of dusky blue and gray. He imparts a sense of profound isolation, through both his color choices and the fact that nothing exists on the horizon but a crimson line of fire.
We switch gears with this next painting and its turquoise water. Greens and blues are “cool” hues in the art world, and the abundant use of these subdued colors are what gives this painting its calming effect.
Just let your eyes trail along the greenery to the water’s edge, and you’ll see how easy it is to let your mind rest and forget about the problems of the day.
In this final piece, entitled Take Me To The Island, Ashley added an abundance of thick texture that plays well into the overall scene.
A lively background texture brings complexity to the clouds sweeping through the sky, and gives the grass definition. Dark horizon lines, as well as the darkness in the foreground, add even more clarification to a gorgeous painting which is not nearly as abstract as some of Ashley’s other works.
To view more of Ashley’s tranquil yet vibrant landscapes, take a minute or two to check out his website and browse through both his recent, and past paintings.
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