Solitude 1997

This is a painting by Eyvind Earle, called Solitude, and I’m thinking it was probably made with oil paint. The scene unfolds with a horse in the foreground. Above it, a hill rises, adorned with stylized trees. I imagine Earle, brush in hand, carefully building up the layers of paint. I can feel the artist’s gentle touch, building this world with simple lines. The dark green tones create a sense of intimacy and connection to the landscape. This use of colour is very deliberate, each stroke resonating with emotion. It reminds me of other landscape painters, like the Canadian artist Emily Carr, or even some of the Hudson River School guys, who were all trying to capture the sublime in nature. Earle’s conversation with them, through time, is like a visual echo, each artist responding to the others’ work in their own way. It shows how painting is an embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and leaving space for multiple interpretations.