On the Bank 1974

Tetyana Yablonska must have made this painting, ‘On the Bank,’ en plein air, with oils probably applied wet-on-wet. The painting is not about the place so much as the experience of being there, in the moment. Look at the brown and green tones which pull the piece together. It feels like Yablonska captured the scene by building it up from layers of brushstrokes. See how the strokes become more animated and free as we look towards the foliage, compared to the flat planes of the water, which feel more grounded and solid. The foliage is a mass of dabs and flicks which give us a sense of the breeze and movement. I love how the colours here are so earthy, yet there is still a sense of vibrancy and life. The painting feels like a conversation, a kind of back-and-forth between the artist and the subject. I’m thinking of Joan Mitchell, who had a similar interest in how paint can capture the energy of a scene, rather than just describing it.