Fin de journée, 2025

A firey cloud over a calm sea captured in oil paint.

Richard K Blades is an expressive English landscape painter in the English Romantic tradition. He follows in a long line of artists such as Turner, Constable, Seago, Daubigney and Courbet who chose the sky, sea and land as their source of inspiration. Painting with oil on board his works use thick paint to capture the crash of a wave, the setting sun, the whistle of a gentle breeze or roar of a blowing gale.

The span of centuries matters little. Technology has advanced, society has shifted, but the landscape is always there, as something eternal, the ever-changing muse, always present, yet never the same.

5pm presents an ethereal seascape where the serenity of nature is vividly captured. A dramatic sky unfolds, painted in deep shades of twilight purple and grey. The focal point is a striking, fiery orange cloud, illuminated by the setting sun, which contrasts sharply with the dusky atmosphere.

Below, the tranquil ocean reflects subtle hints of the sky’s colors, its calm waves gently kissing the expansive sandy shoreline. Blades’ expert use of color and light creates a harmonious balance between tranquility and drama, evoking a sense of introspection and awe. This piece uniquely captures the transitional moment between day and night, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in its serene beauty and contemplate the day’s end.