Sails Against Ember

About this piece

A sailing catamaran sits just right of center beneath a broad canopy of dark clouds, its pale sails rising against an orange and gold horizon. Scattered birds and figures on deck lend scale to the scene, while the textured blue-gray sea balances the intensity of the sky.

The story

I watched the pale sails hold their shape against a sky that seemed almost too bright for the sea below. The sun was low, partly hidden by clouds along the horizon, and birds punctuated the open space around the mast. I framed the boat with room for that heavy cloud overhead and the cooler water beneath it. What drew me was the contrast: a small gathering of people suspended between two immense fields of color.