Heart of the Forest 1935

Emily Carr made 'Heart of the Forest', using oil paint and probably a brush that was wide and flat, judging by those marks. The brushstrokes are lively, and she laid down the paint with confidence, working wet-into-wet, but letting some areas dry. Look at the way the brushstrokes curve and flow, mimicking the movement of the wind through the trees, each one carrying a mix of greens, yellows, and blues, that almost gives the trees the look of flames. And notice how the colors shift from warm to cool, giving the painting a sense of depth and atmosphere. It's like she's not just painting what she sees but how it feels to be in the forest. Carr was definitely tuned into her surroundings, and her work reminds me a bit of Van Gogh, with its emotional intensity and expressive brushwork. But Carr brought her own unique vision to the canvas, and her paintings are a testament to the power of art to connect us to the natural world, and to one another.