Stormy sea

A sailing vessel pitches dramatically against towering waves under a brooding sky, its canvas billowed and hull vulnerable to the sea’s force. Du Toit renders this maritime drama through vigorous brushwork and tonal contrasts, the composition emphasising the raw tension between vessel and element. The palette of deep blues, greys and blacks conveys both the violence of the storm and the fragility of human endeavour. Working in oil, du Toit employs the classical impressionistic technique that defines his practice, using light and shadow to animate the scene with immediacy and presence.