The sketch in acrylic on site (The riverbank) 2011

Alfred Freddy Krupa made "The sketch in acrylic on site (The riverbank)" with acrylics. I can only imagine that the act of painting happened outdoors, en plein air. The sky comes down to us, surrounding a stand of trees, and their reflection in the water. The colours here, the blues and greens with touches of ochre, feel deeply familiar. The image came into being quickly—decisive strokes and a layering of hues. I sympathize with the artist setting up their easel on the riverbank. I like to think they were contending with the wind, the light, and the changing reflections in the water. There's a kind of urgency, a wish to capture the fleeting moment. The texture is built up, layer upon layer; the sky is rendered with short, hatched strokes. The reflections are soft, hazy, the paint is dabbed on the surface of the board. I feel like the artist is asking: how can painting capture the fluidity of a river? How can it record our sensory experience of being in the landscape? It reminds me of the Impressionists and their experiments in capturing the qualities of light. Artists inspire one another across time, and this feels like part of the conversation. Painting embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple readings and meaning.