Title : Nightfall on Ronda

Size : 18x 12 Inches

Medium : Soft Pastel (mostly Terry Ludwig. Others - Schminke, Sennelier and Unison ) on Uart400 Dark

Date Completed  : 22nd Sept 2019

Series : Travel

Descriptions :

Simply a breath-taking sight! – A masterpiece by God and man combined, where the rustic mountains, deep gorge, rugged river and the ancient 18th century impossible looking bridge meet.

It was 2 years ago this very month itself in 2017, God intimidated me with his painterly skills, adding to his canvas (sky, mountains and gorge ) layer by layer with seemingly limitless pallete of hues! If only I could capture all with my brushes as quickly as He changes the layers!.

While I was sipping champagne with my travel buddies on the balcony of my vacation apartment overlooking the two cities on our left and right, which are connected by this spectacular mammoth structure seemingly diving downward, I was overcome with excitement and awe and remembered taking out all my sketching tools to capture the impressive view before it vanished into the dark. ‘En plein air’ I did! - from noon to dusk and from dusk till dawn, yes, in this sequence (no mistakes!).

Two decades later, these series of images still linger on unceasingly in my mind. However instead of brushes, out came my new-found love and partner in crime - Pastels sticks! This is merely my humble 3rd interpretation based on my unforgettable moments there. A depiction of the nightfall or dusk, when the glowing ambience gradually dimmed down to the myriads of cool magenta and warm amber shades and the hustling and bustling of the overcrowding tourists began to fade away in the distance. My first two artworks were on the morningtide and when the sun began to set. Both paintings are now hanging side by side on the wall of an elegant stairway of my collector’s abode.

The Puente Nuevo spans 120 meter deep and approximately 66 meter wide, connecting the chasm that carries the Guadalevín River and divides the city of Ronda, in southern Spain.

Inspiration references: Memoirs from travels, ‘En plein air’ sketches/watercolour paintings and several own sunset time lapse photoshoots.