Blue Before the Storm36" x 48"

$4,500.00 CAD

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About the Artwork

Blue Before the Storm is a 36" × 48" oil painting on canvas by Richard Cole (b. 1968), presenting a Prairie landscape in which a field of blue and pale violet blossoms extends beneath a layered sky of pale blue, white cumulus cloud, and a dark teal-blue storm band above the horizon.

The sky is more open than in Cole's storm-series canola works. Pale blue covers the upper register, with thin diagonal streaks of cloud visible near the top edge. White cumulus formations occupy the middle sky, their rounded forms soft and well-separated. Below these, a band of dark teal-blue cloud sits above the horizon — less heavy than the near-black storm cover in works like Edge of the Gathering Sky, with more of the underlying sky colour remaining visible. A narrow pink-mauve band runs along the horizon line where the sky meets the flower field.

The field below is rendered as a broad continuous mass of blue and pale violet blossoms distributed across a dark green ground. Individual blossoms are visible in the foreground with short, precise strokes in blue, pale violet, and white, their yellow centres distinct at close range. The handling is looser than the daisy foreground in Breaking Through — blossoms are less individually separated, giving the field a denser, more continuous character. Long grass stems are visible between the blossoms in the lower canvas.

Richard Cole studied oil painting at the Alberta College of Art and Design, graduating in 1991. Born in Edmonton, he has developed a sustained body of Prairie landscape work alongside his better-known Northwest Coast subjects. His paintings are held in corporate and private collections worldwide. Blue Before the Storm is among his Prairie works to present a blue-flowering field, its palette distinct from both the canola series and the white-flowering Breaking Through.

Dimensions and Details

Title: Blue Before the Storm
Artist: Richard Cole (b. 1968)
Size: 36" × 48" (91.4 × 121.9 cm)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Condition: Excellent
Display: Gallery-wrapped canvas with finished dark edges, ready to hang unframed

Acquisition Enquiries

Blue Before the Storm is offered through West End Gallery. At 36" × 48", the work carries substantial wall presence suited to open residential or commercial spaces. The blue-violet flower field and relatively open sky give this work a cooler, lighter character than Cole's canola storm paintings, making it a distinctive counterpoint within his Prairie series. Collectors interested in this work are invited to contact the gallery directly to enquire about availability, arrange a private viewing, or discuss acquisition terms. Shipping is quoted by location; local delivery within Edmonton is complimentary. Layaway options are available upon request.

Citations

Canada House Gallery, Richard Cole — Artist Biography, canadahouse.com, accessed 2026.
Cole Studio, The Artist, colestudio.net, accessed 2026.

Accessibility Description

The painting is horizontal in orientation, wider than it is tall. A straight horizon line runs across the lower third of the canvas. Above the horizon, the sky is pale blue at the top edge with thin diagonal streaks of white cloud near the upper corners. White cumulus formations with soft, rounded forms occupy the middle sky. Below these, a band of dark teal-blue cloud sits above the horizon, its lower edge uneven. A narrow pink-mauve band runs along the horizon line where sky meets field. Below the horizon, a field of blue and pale violet blossoms extends across the full width of the canvas. Individual blossoms in blue, pale violet, and white with yellow centres are visible in the foreground, rendered with short precise strokes against a dark green grass ground. Long grass stems are visible between the blossoms. The flower field becomes denser and less individually articulated as it recedes toward the horizon, reading as a continuous blue-violet mass in the mid-ground. The canvas edges are dark and finished, and the work is displayed without a frame.

Full Provenance

Provenance information is not currently recorded. Please enquire for updates.

Disclaimer

This description has been prepared by West End Gallery using original documentation and current scholarship. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, minor variations or additional information may emerge through ongoing research. Prospective purchasers are encouraged to contact us to confirm any details critical to their acquisition decision.

Blue Before the Storm | 36" x 48"

About the Artwork

Blue Before the Storm is a 36" × 48" oil painting on canvas by Richard Cole (b. 1968), presenting a Prairie landscape in which a field of blue and pale violet blossoms extends beneath a layered sky of pale blue, white cumulus cloud, and a dark teal-blue storm band above the horizon.

The sky is more open than in Cole's storm-series canola works. Pale blue covers the upper register, with thin diagonal streaks of cloud visible near the top edge. White cumulus formations occupy the middle sky, their rounded forms soft and well-separated. Below these, a band of dark teal-blue cloud sits above the horizon — less heavy than the near-black storm cover in works like Edge of the Gathering Sky, with more of the underlying sky colour remaining visible. A narrow pink-mauve band runs along the horizon line where the sky meets the flower field.

The field below is rendered as a broad continuous mass of blue and pale violet blossoms distributed across a dark green ground. Individual blossoms are visible in the foreground with short, precise strokes in blue, pale violet, and white, their yellow centres distinct at close range. The handling is looser than the daisy foreground in Breaking Through — blossoms are less individually separated, giving the field a denser, more continuous character. Long grass stems are visible between the blossoms in the lower canvas.

Richard Cole studied oil painting at the Alberta College of Art and Design, graduating in 1991. Born in Edmonton, he has developed a sustained body of Prairie landscape work alongside his better-known Northwest Coast subjects. His paintings are held in corporate and private collections worldwide. Blue Before the Storm is among his Prairie works to present a blue-flowering field, its palette distinct from both the canola series and the white-flowering Breaking Through.

Dimensions and Details

Title: Blue Before the Storm
Artist: Richard Cole (b. 1968)
Size: 36" × 48" (91.4 × 121.9 cm)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Condition: Excellent
Display: Gallery-wrapped canvas with finished dark edges, ready to hang unframed

Acquisition Enquiries

Blue Before the Storm is offered through West End Gallery. At 36" × 48", the work carries substantial wall presence suited to open residential or commercial spaces. The blue-violet flower field and relatively open sky give this work a cooler, lighter character than Cole's canola storm paintings, making it a distinctive counterpoint within his Prairie series. Collectors interested in this work are invited to contact the gallery directly to enquire about availability, arrange a private viewing, or discuss acquisition terms. Shipping is quoted by location; local delivery within Edmonton is complimentary. Layaway options are available upon request.

Citations

Canada House Gallery, Richard Cole — Artist Biography, canadahouse.com, accessed 2026.
Cole Studio, The Artist, colestudio.net, accessed 2026.

Accessibility Description

The painting is horizontal in orientation, wider than it is tall. A straight horizon line runs across the lower third of the canvas. Above the horizon, the sky is pale blue at the top edge with thin diagonal streaks of white cloud near the upper corners. White cumulus formations with soft, rounded forms occupy the middle sky. Below these, a band of dark teal-blue cloud sits above the horizon, its lower edge uneven. A narrow pink-mauve band runs along the horizon line where sky meets field. Below the horizon, a field of blue and pale violet blossoms extends across the full width of the canvas. Individual blossoms in blue, pale violet, and white with yellow centres are visible in the foreground, rendered with short precise strokes against a dark green grass ground. Long grass stems are visible between the blossoms. The flower field becomes denser and less individually articulated as it recedes toward the horizon, reading as a continuous blue-violet mass in the mid-ground. The canvas edges are dark and finished, and the work is displayed without a frame.

Full Provenance

Provenance information is not currently recorded. Please enquire for updates.

Disclaimer

This description has been prepared by West End Gallery using original documentation and current scholarship. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, minor variations or additional information may emerge through ongoing research. Prospective purchasers are encouraged to contact us to confirm any details critical to their acquisition decision.