Gouache Sail Rock, artist Maxim Babich

• Artist: Maxim Babich
• Title: "Sail Rock"
• Year: 2019
• Size: 56 × 42 cm
• Materials: hardboard, gouache, watercolour
• Original handmade artwork

This horizontal seascape is built around a tall, pointed rock rising straight out of the water in the centre of the composition. Its sunlit facets really do resemble a taut sail. On the left a low rocky islet emerges from the sea, and to the right of the rock lies a small flat stone. In the background a long mountain ridge stretches in a bluish haze, white cumulus clouds drift above it, and seagulls circle in the air over the water. On the right a windsurfer glides across the waves under a white sail — a small figure that echoes the name of the rock and sets the scale of the whole scene.

The work is executed in gouache and watercolour on hardboard. The artist paints with short, densely laid strokes of different shades, and the surface of the sea is built up from countless shimmering strokes of colour. The rock is modelled with light facets — white, yellow, lilac — and dark lines of cracks that convey its stony texture. The mountains are painted more softly with light slanting strokes, so they recede into the distance and do not compete with the main motif. In places the texture of the support shows through, giving the work liveliness. This way of painting brings the gouache close to oil painting in the density and resonance of its colour. The artist's signature is in the lower left corner.

The palette is bright and clean: turquoise and azure water turns deep blue at the horizon, lilac-blue mountains merge with the sky, and white clouds and golden highlights on the rock add warmth to the light. A bright path of sunlight, painted in greenish-yellow strokes, stretches across the water from the rock. The whole picture is filled with the feeling of a clear summer day by the sea, a fresh breeze and transparent water. It is a landscape you want to step into: with the splash of waves, the cry of gulls and open space all the way to the mountains.

Besides easel painting, Maxim Babich works in gouache and watercolour. Light and colour are the main protagonists of his work: following the tradition of impressionism, the artist conveys sunlight, the play of coloured reflections and the feeling of air.

At 56 × 42 cm, "Sail Rock" will become a bright and cheerful accent in a living room, study or office. The sea palette goes well with interiors in white and blue, with Scandinavian and Mediterranean styles, and the horizontal format is convenient to hang above a sofa or desk. It is an excellent gift for a man, colleague or partner who loves the sea, sailing, windsurfing and travel. The work is unframed and can be finished with a frame of your choice.