In the Rays of the Sun — Original Painting In the Rays of the Sun — Canvas Room Scene In the Rays of the Sun — Natural Wood Pearl Frame

In the Rays of the Sun

An Original Painting by Désirée Paus Sterling

There are paintings that arrive quietly, and paintings that arrive like a dare.

This one was a dare.

I had been studying with an art school, immersing myself in techniques I had never tried before. One of them changed everything: beginning a painting in acrylics, then finishing in oils. Acrylics move fast — they dry quickly, build structure rapidly, and give you a foundation that oils can then breathe life into. It demands that you trust the process long before you can see the result.

I had never painted this way before.

Then, two days before a deadline for an entry into a gallery show, something in me said: try — this felt enormous. Terrifying. And exactly right.

I painted fast. Focused. Fully committed and surrendered to the urgency. And something happened that doesn't always happen when I take my time — the painting came alive with a freedom I don't usually allow myself to have. A painterly looseness, luminosity and aliveness which was clearly distinct from my other works.

I submitted her to the gallery. And then I waited.

I wasn't selected....For a moment, that stung. This was my first ever gallery submission — a real step into the professional art world, a declaration that I was taking myself seriously as an artist. The rejection landed hard.

But then something shifted. Because I realized — she had already done her work. She had pushed me to try something new. To enter a room I had never entered before. To dare.

And maybe she was never meant for that gallery wall.

Maybe she was meant to find you.

✨ In the Rays of the Sun is available as:

Each print comes with a signed Certificate of Authenticity, personally emailed by Désirée.

Framed Print Unframed Print Canvas Print Original