Contemplation In Blue

This painting is part of Sean Rush’s Monochrome Series, executed in oil on traditional gesso board. A single figure is embedded within a surrounding field of cobalt blue, while warm Siena pigment infuses the underlayers.
Rush employs a subtractive brushstroke technique: after applying washes of sienna and cobalt, he uses a damp brush to gently remove or scumble areas before they fully dry—carving form from color rather than building it up.
On the absorbent gesso surface, this method allows gestural marks to resonate with tonal depth. The figure’s inward gaze, framed by expansive blue negative space and warm sienna echoes, fosters a contemplative stillness.