“Sun Stroke” is an exuberant outburst of light and heat—a kaleidoscopic scene that pulses with desert energy and painterly rhythm. It feels less like a literal view and more like the essence of a sunlit day distilled into vivid color and gesture. Radiant Burst of Emotion Across the canvas, bold planes of golden yellow and fiery red erupt in dramatic blooms—like sunbeams made visible. To one side, florals or architectural forms veer into deep crimson and violet, sending vertical spikes that seem to glow with internal flame. A Desert Tapestry of Color The land beneath reflects that intensity: fields of radiant chartreuse green fade into velvety purples and sun-washed ochres, with turquoise veins snaking through—the precise ebb and flow of warm and cool in motion. This is desert flora and landscape, remembered, reimagined, and jubilantly amplified. Water and Shade as Counterpoint In the lower portion, a pool or tableau adds respite—a quiet oasis painted in shimmering blue-green tones. Two wine glasses or vessels rest invitingly, hints of burgundy and rose whisper against the cool water, grounding the piece in human moments of pause and pleasure. Gesture and Light as Story Carey layers her oil over gold-gesso, so that hidden warmth flickers beneath every brushstroke—light literally shining through paint. Her lines and marks carry the pulse of swing and song, each gesture like a verse in an emotional melody. She composes opposing diagonals and arcs—“S”-curves of color—to guide the eye through heat, shade, structure, and sky. Color as Emotional Architecture Inspired by Matisse’s decorative boldness and Van Gogh’s expressive torque, Carey pairs opposites—hot and cool, patterned flat shapes against atmospheric space—to create a visual vibration. The painting does not merely show desert; it sings desert. “Sun Stroke” is a vibrant celebration of solar essence: a visual concerto of heat and coolness, structured forms and organic rhythm, memory and feeling. Carey transforms one moment under the sun into a luminous emotional landscape—bright, joyous, and pulsating with the lyric energy of color.

Name Of Artist (So You Are Searchable!)

Cathy Carey

Exact Dimensions

24"w x 20"t

Year Created

2012

Provide details about the signature

Bottom right

Materials

oil on linen