Painting Unusual Natural Phenomenon with Artist Mickey Culver

Oil painting by artist Mickey Culver [email protected]

Culver's painting blends realism and abstraction, offering a unique visual experience. The foreground stripes make us respond to the piece as if it were abstract. The abstract effect is accentuated by the seemingly disconnected landscape to the left and right of the vehicle in the upper part of the painting.

However abstract this painting may seem, it is actually a realistic painting. It is an illusion on a highway. A mirage in which shimmering pools of water seem to cover the roadway far ahead. This mirage occurs when the air near the ground is much hotter than the air above it. This temperature gradient causes light rays to bend (refract) as they pass through layers of air at different temperatures, creating the appearance of water or a shimmering, blurry effect on the road. This is specifically called an 'inferior mirage', as the mirage appears below the actual object.
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As artists, this painting may inspire us to look for unusual phenomena in the world around us that would create a dynamic and thought-provoking composition, challenge viewers' perceptions, and invite diverse interpretations.