Haying 1933

Clarence Gagnon made this painting, called Haying, with what looks like confident, broken brushstrokes. The colours are mostly warm, but it's the way the sky looms, grey and pregnant, that draws me in. Those clouds are heavy. You can almost feel the shift in temperature and the stillness of the air before a storm. Look at the way Gagnon uses the paint, it's thick in places, especially in the haystacks, giving them a kind of sculptural presence, almost like they're bursting out of the canvas. But then, in the background, the paint thins out, creating a sense of distance and atmosphere. There's something about the way he captures the light and shadow that reminds me of those early landscape painters, like Corot, who were trying to capture the fleeting moments of nature. It’s all about seeing, feeling, and letting the painting happen.