Luminous Maritime Impressionism
Jade Reflections II is an original 9" × 12" pastel-on-paper painting by contemporary New England landscape and maritime artist Sandra Kavanaugh.
This radiant seascape captures a sunlit wave cresting and breaking near the shore. Bright light filters through the curling body of water, creating a luminous inner glow while emphasizing the ocean’s weight, movement, and translucent surface.
Key Details
Title: Jade Reflections II
Artist: Sandra Kavanaugh
Medium: Pastel on paper
Dimensions: 9" × 12"
Subject: Seascape / sunlit breaking wave and surf
Technical Details and Style
- Medium: Professional-grade soft pastels on textured fine art paper.
- Technique: Expressive layered scumbling and crisp edge work create both atmosphere and movement. Sharp white strokes convey the force of crashing surf, while smooth, sweeping marks inside the wave suggest sunlight passing through translucent water.
- Style: Contemporary Impressionism and marine art, emphasizing atmospheric light, active water textures, and immediate visual impact over photographic realism.
- Composition: A horizontal format centers on a large curling wave that moves diagonally across the scene. Churning white foam at the crest introduces energy, while soft foreground ripples anchor the composition and guide the eye upward into the swell.
- Color palette: Translucent jade green and light olive form the wave's glowing body, balanced by crisp white and soft cream sea foam. Deep sapphire blues, cool teals, and lavender-gray shadows add depth and contrast"
