Mist Coming

This oil painting by Devon-based artist Belinda Reynell captures the raw atmosphere and emotional vastness of an open Devon or Cornwall landscape rather than depicting a literal place. Sweeping, gestural brushstrokes dominate the sky, creating a sense of fast-moving weather and shifting light. The composition feels windswept and expansive, with layers of creamy whites, muted ochres, soft greys and pale blues dissolving into one another like mist rolling across moorland.

The foreground is grounded by deeper earthy tones — burnt umber, rust, olive and charcoal — which suggest rugged hills, marshland or coastal terrain. These darker passages anchor the otherwise luminous composition and create a strong contrast with the glowing central horizon. Flecks of lime green and pale turquoise add unexpected vitality, hinting at reflected light on water or fresh vegetation breaking through the landscape.

Reynell’s technique is expressive and intuitive. Thick impasto textures, scraped paint, palette-knife marks and translucent layers give the work movement and depth. Rather than aiming for photographic realism, she evokes the feeling of being immersed in the elements — wind, moisture, distance and changing weather. The painting feels both dramatic and contemplative, balancing turbulence in the sky with calm openness near the horizon.

The piece is very characteristic of Reynell’s contemporary abstract landscapes, which are inspired by the Devon and Cornwall coastline and moorland. Her work often explores emotional responses to place through layered texture and energetic mark-making.

Dimensions are: 100cm x 100cm