Musical help please?!?

heya.,
i'm doing my GCSE music composition and have to hand it in in two weeks. i'm totally stuck. we have to write a piece to be played ina art gallery to represent different paintings which depict different times of day. (we can have 2-5 instrumnts and can represent any combo of morning, afternoon, evening and night). i've tried to do a jazz piece but found it really tricky so what shall i do? i'd like to do something with piano and guitar. but i don't know what. i need ideas eg a ragtime waltz in 3/4 in c major. any rhythm and melody tips would be much appreciated!!! :]

it doesnt have to be for any paintings in particular, it's hypothetical.

I would have to see these paintings before I make some recommendations. If the paintings give you an impression of Ragtime then that's fine but if this music style doesn't fit in with the painting that perhaps it's not a good idea.
Here's what you can check:
- still life
- lots of action
- battle scene
- just some abstract figures
- colours of the picture
- is the painting angular

For example, if it's a still life then I'd use some piano only music, whereas if it was a battle scene then I'd use some dramatic music with drums. If the painting has predominantly blue colour (especially if the brush strokes are quite fluidy too) then I'd try to go for some of these new age type music with a bit of water sound in it (but not a waterfall, rather a stream gently flowing). But you could use other nature sound effects too with your music, like ocean waves, bird singing, lighning/thunder sounds etc.