Blue Sunset, Mars
By Mark Castle
US$ 1,200
Overview
This artwork was last updated 250 days ago.
2021
Oil Paint, Hematite and oil on canvas
Unique Work
Dimensions: 32cm (H) x 32cm (W) x 3.6cm (D) / 12.6" (H) x 12.6" (W) x 1.4" (D)
Note: Actual colours may vary due to photography & computer settings
Shipping
This item ships from United Kingdom
Please note that this item is framed and will be shipped flat
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About the art
Artist statement
A sunset seen from the surface of Mars, painted with Hematite. Hematite is an iron oxide and takes its name from the Greek word for blood. Fine grained hematite is responsible for Mars's red hue.
Sunsets on Mars can appear blue because of the scattering of red light in its dusty atmosphere. The original photo I painted from was taken by Nasa's Spirit Rover from the surface of Mars.
Hematite is a fairly soft rock and breaks down into a very highly pigmented powder. A process called levigation was then used (suspending in water so the heavy particles sink, then pour off the water containing the fine particles) and once completely dry I had a very fine powder.
Hematite powder binds very well with oil, creating a very strong deep red paint immediately reminiscent of the rusty planet. In these predominantly blue paintings, I mixed hematite paint with viridian green to achieve the dark foreground tones.
I source my hematite from Cumbria, UK.
This work was exhibited in my solo show Celestial Light (London, 2021)
Size unframed: 30 x 30 x 1.9 cm
Size framed: 32 x 32 x 3.6 cm
Related tags
Artist profile
Mark Castle
Born: 1991
Hometown: London
Based in: London
Mark Castle lives and works in London. After graduating in Illustration in 2013 he changed his focus to fine art, specifically painting. After studying astronomy at school and joining a local observers group, he made the cosmos his artistic focus by examining the ethereal yet overwhelming nature of space through …
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