Tree in the cornfield 1907

August Macke made this painting, Tree in the cornfield, with what looks like oil pastel, and maybe even a little wax crayon – you know, the kind kids use? It's all about the process, isn't it? How the colors blend or don't, how the hand moves. I love how the strokes of yellow and orange create this shimmering field, like you can almost feel the heat radiating off the surface. And that tree, smack dab in the middle, with its messy scribbles of green, casting a cool shadow. Notice the two figures, sort of blending in with the landscape, their forms softened by the hazy light. The blue sky doesn’t feel traditionally ‘sky-like’ to me, more like an opportunity for Macke to play with colour and tone. Macke was part of the German Expressionist movement, but he also looked to artists like Robert Delaunay. He brings a similar focus on light, colour and abstraction to his work. It's like he's saying, "Hey, let's not get too serious, let's just see what happens when we put these colors together." And that's the beauty of art, right? It's not about answers, it's about the conversation.