Hermosa Beach Sky, 2026 by Ray Patrick — original gouache painting — 2026.085.014

Subject

A sky of heavy cloud at the end of the day, with three palms in silhouette at the lower right and a dark strip of land along the bottom.

Composition

Almost entirely sky, divided by a long diagonal of lit cloud running from the lower left to the upper right. The palms are small, placed low and to one side, and exist to give the cloud its scale.

Palette

Ochre, buff and warm grey in the lit cloud against cobalt and periwinkle in the breaks of blue. The palms and the ground are near-black. Warm and cool are interleaved throughout rather than separated.

Handling

Flat dabs throughout, each one a separate loaded touch with its edges left showing, so the sky reads as built rather than brushed. The palm crowns are a few short strokes; the trunks single thin pulls.

Medium and support

Gouache on paper. Matte and opaque. Unpainted margins all round.

Signature

Lower right, raypatrick, in red over the dark ground, letters touching.