Al Hogue (21st C.) American, Oil on Canvas. Signed lower left and titled "Silent Sentinal." Dated 1999. Al Hogue was born in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, where he developed a profound appreciation for nature. In his teens, his family moved to Hawaii and his love of the outdoors exploded. Hawaii had a marvelous effect on his imagination. He says, "it was heaven on earth!” He spent all his spare time surfing and sailing, rarely missing a sunset. At the age of 30, he began teaching himself to paint and studying the Dutch masters. He spent all his spare time experimenting with mixing paints and learning to control his brush strokes and developing his eye for design. With his love of nature and the sea naturally, that's what he started painting. Hogue's paintings invite us to step into them and escape to a peaceful paradise. His brush delicately dances across the canvas exposing vast treasures of nature. Eternity stretches before us and time are measured only by the rhythm of waves crashing on the sandy beach. Hogue's brush explodes with color. Deep cool turquoise rises from the ocean depths. The setting sun radiates warm subtle hues of pink and salmon across the dusk sky. At night, seafoam and sand reflect blue moonlight like diamonds strewn across the beach. The artist's sensitive eye penetrates the ocean waves with a pallet of transparent color revealing the secrets below. Hogue's flawless brush strokes and mastery of color render the essence of the timeless ocean. Al has cherished living in Hawaii for 35 plus years and has recently moved to Texas to be close to his father Guy Hogue who is a novelist and also paints. Al has fond memories of when he was very young and watching his father paint and grew to even love the smell of the oil paints. His father was very instrumental in the birth of Al's creativity. Overall Size: 36 x 24 in.Sight Size: 23 x 11 in.