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- The Descent of Light
The Descent of Light (2025)Acrylic painting
by Paul Cheng
£661.88Sold
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Original artwork description
When I created this piece, I wanted to capture a moment of tension—where sinking and transcendence coexist. To me, the underwater world is both oppressive and serene. It symbolizes the deep inner struggle and a strange form of liberation. I painted the figure in a free-falling pose, with her dress floating and bubbles rising, to reflect a silent scream caught between drowning and peace.
Artistic Techniques:
I used strong contrasts of light and shadow, working primarily in cool tones—bright blues against deep blacks—to replicate the refracted light found underwater. My approach combined palette knife and wide brush strokes to quickly convey the movement of water and the glow on the skin. Around the figure, I intentionally blurred the edges to emphasize the sensation of slipping into an ambiguous space. The entire composition is meant to evoke the psychological boundary between being lost and awakening.
Materials used:
Acrylic
Details:
- Acrylic painting on Canvas
- One of a kind artwork
- Size: 60.96 x 76.2 x 2.03cm (unframed)
- Ready to hang
- Signed on the front
- Style: Impressionistic
- Subject: People and portraits
Tags:
#water#blue#serene#underwater#floating abstract
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Original artwork description
When I created this piece, I wanted to capture a moment of tension—where sinking and transcendence coexist. To me, the underwater world is both oppressive and serene. It symbolizes the deep inner struggle and a strange form of liberation. I painted the figure in a free-falling pose, with her dress floating and bubbles rising, to reflect a silent scream caught between drowning and peace.
Artistic Techniques:
I used strong contrasts of light and shadow, working primarily in cool tones—bright blues against deep blacks—to replicate the refracted light found underwater. My approach combined palette knife and wide brush strokes to quickly convey the movement of water and the glow on the skin. Around the figure, I intentionally blurred the edges to emphasize the sensation of slipping into an ambiguous space. The entire composition is meant to evoke the psychological boundary between being lost and awakening.
Materials used:
Acrylic
Details:
- Acrylic painting on Canvas
- One of a kind artwork
- Size: 60.96 x 76.2 x 2.03cm (unframed)
- Ready to hang
- Signed on the front
- Style: Impressionistic
- Subject: People and portraits
Tags:
#water#blue#serene#underwater#floating abstract
Paul Cheng
United States
About
Paul ChengOil Painters of America (OPA) Signature Member
Paul Cheng was born and grew up in Guangzhou China and
studied at Guangzhou Fine Art College China, one of the most... Read more