Garden at Văratec 1987

Here is a painting by Horia Bernea, made in 1978. It’s a garden scene laid down with loose brushstrokes of mainly greens and blues. You can almost imagine the artist standing en plein air, wrestling with the canvas, trying to capture the fleeting light and the abundance of nature before him. I feel for Bernea as he tried to make this painting. I've been there, trying to pin down a feeling or sensation. It is like trying to catch a dream. Here, the paint is applied in thin layers, which allows the texture of the canvas to peek through. The brushstrokes are visible, and the colors blend softly into each other, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. Look at the way the light catches the tips of the trees, how the little flicks and dashes of pigment evoke the rustling of leaves in the breeze. In his work, Bernea was always reaching, always searching. As painters, we’re all in this together, borrowing from each other, carrying on conversations across time, inspiring one another to see the world in new ways. And isn't that what painting is all about?