The Northern Lights on a Canvas

The northern lights are a unique phenomenon. They have inspired painters from Canada and Alaska throughout human history. Painting the Northern Lights is considered a genre of its own. The Aurora Borealis is liked by both traditional artists and those that tend to prefer Modernism. People that enjoy long vacations can sign up for an art class and learn how to paint the Aurora first hand.

Paul Gauthier is a very talented artist. He is not only a painter, but a photographer as well. Gauthier's passion for the arts can be compared to his passion for preserving the beautiful Canadian nature. Paul Gauthier's Northern Lights was painted in 2003, and it is a very vivid representation of the gorgeous night's sky. The landscape provides a view of tall mountains straight ahead that are reflected in a lake's water. The Aurora is reflected in the lake as well. Gauthier is a recognized artist. Some of his work is purchased by Texaco, Bank of Montreal, the Canadian branches of IBM and GE, Meryl Lynch, Sears, and others. In 1991, Paul Gauthier received an award for his artistic and cultural contribution to the community.

Larry Wowk is another great Canadian painter that knew how to appreciate and recreate the Northern Lights. Unfortunately, Wowk passed away in 2009, but his paintings reveal a passionate legacy about capturing the Aurora lights on canvas. Wowk was a master of oil on canvas paintings. In order to create the Northern Lights, he used an airbrush. 

Some artists prefer to have a Modernist approach when painting the Borealis. Scott Adami is a United States painter who does wonders with acrylics. His painting Aurora Borealis is acrylics on canvas. Adami has chosen to combine strong colors with very elegant brushwork. Even though this is unusual abstract art a viewer can almost see how the Northern Lights move in the night's sky changing their form. Scott is the creator of many incredible works with bright colors and unmistakable style. 

Another gorgeous representation of the Northern Lights is that of Rani Priya Mullane. The artist has completely captured the essence of the Northern Lights in the painting Cold Aurora Lights. The landscape art is created from a frozen lake and a gorgeous fantasy forest. 

Painting the Northern Lights requires a lot of skills. First of all, knowing how to properly recreate a landscape is a must. A second skill is dealing with the lights themselves. Some artists prefer to use an airbrush in order to create a more realistic effect. Painters who spend time in the north cannot resist the temptation of painting the Lights. Everyone sees these lights in his or her own way. However, thanks to every artist's unique talent, people can purchase a painting and enjoy the spectacular display for themselves.

Of course, a beginner artist can try his or her skill by trying to paint the Northern Lights. This can be done with oil paints or acrylics, since they have the most pigment. Canvas or silk is a great surface for such paintings.