The record has been certified gold in Germany and France, and platinum in Switzerland. Paintings in Yellow became Sandra's highest-charting album in Germany at number four, in addition to a top-10 peak in Switzerland. It was followed by two further singles in 1990, ' (Life May Be) A Big Insanity' and the ballad ' One More Night', which were moderately successful on the charts. The cover of Wishful Thinking's ' Hiroshima' was released as the lead single in February 1990, becoming a top-five chart success in Germany and Switzerland. Frank Peterson, who was the co-producer on the Enigma project, took up the role of co-writing some of the tracks on Paintings in Yellow. Much of the material, especially the five-part track 'The Journey', foreshadowed the sound of Enigma, a new-age music project that Michael and Sandra were working on during the making of the album. The material showcased more mature sound, departing from Sandra's previous, up-tempo dance songs in favour of a more reflective and sophisticated style. Studios, Sandra and Michael Cretu's home studio in Ibiza, Spain.
