This image is based on my own photograph of the Ardbeg distillery on Islay, which I converted into a digital painting style reminiscent of the work of classic American realists. The composition is simple and powerful, with great attention to light, emptiness and stillness.
The white facades of the distillery stand out sharply against the sky; the light falls tightly and geometrically across the walls and roofs. No people can be seen - only buildings, shadows and silence. The image evokes a sense of isolation, of a place detached from time. The atmosphere is bright but at the same time melancholic, as if observing a moment in which nothing is happening but everything is palpable.
By converting the photograph to painting form, a new stratification is created: the rugged charm of Islay is emphasised, not by details, but by atmosphere. The distillery takes on something symbolic, like a silent beacon in an otherwise empty world.
The work balances between realism and interpretation, between documentation and imagination. For me, this is not an exact representation of a place, but a translation of the feeling you have when you are there: the smell of peat, the wind of the sea, and the impressive silence of a distillery that breathes its history.
Created by Thijs Schouten with support from AI.
Thijs Schouten, 38 years old, living in Hoevelaken. For over 15 years active with photography and as a child always had a camera in his hands. Photography is (besides his girlfriend and two daughters) his big passion.more information can be found at: https://www.thijsschouten.com.. Read more…
Germany
Netherlands
Netherlands
Netherlands
Netherlands
Netherlands
Germany
Netherlands
Netherlands
Germany
Germany
Germany