Cradle 1999

Bo Bartlett made this painting, called "Cradle," at some point, using oil on canvas. Look at how Bartlett builds up the paint, creating a dreamy, almost surreal scene. The texture in this painting is key. It looks like Bartlett used thin layers of paint, letting the surface of the canvas peek through. This gives the whole piece a kind of hazy, soft focus effect. Notice that upright, what is that anyway? A tree? A mast? It rises so smoothly from the horizon, with only the slightest variation of colour. Then there’s this wooden structure on the beach, kind of like a cradle or a boat frame. And get this, right in the middle, a perfectly painted gold circle, floating there like a promise. It reminds me a little of Edward Hopper, but with a touch more whimsy, a dash more surrealism. Like Hopper, Bartlett captures these quiet, contemplative moments, but he throws in something unexpected, that gold circle, to make you wonder what it all means. Art isn't about answers anyway, it's about the questions it stirs up, right?