The central glowing field of the marsh in this painting jolts the viewer: the bright golden yellows, the tangerine oranges, and the scattered threads of alizarin crimson are like a carpet of sunshine or the hottest coals of a forge. Piercing this broad, flat area are the dazzlingly intense small pools of lapis lazuli with some teal green, a deep contrasting colour that changes the palette of the painting like an abrupt change of tempo in music.

Cranberry Marsh demonstrates a shift in Thomson’s work: landscape conventions begin to fade, hues become more vibrant, and compositions  become battlefields for layers of close-hued or clashing paint.