Sea Cliffs and Pine Branch 2000

Eyvind Earle made this painting of Sea Cliffs and Pine Branch with a smooth surface and striking green gradations. The shades of green feel like they are both receding into the distance and rising up to meet you. I can imagine Earle carefully layering these greens, letting each layer dry before adding another. The smooth surface and the gradients he achieved make it feel like you could dive right into the painting. The textures he creates with the pine needles and branches are just incredible. Each tiny needle is a small act of mark-making, and the black silhouette of the tree against the green background is dramatic. It makes me want to grab a brush and experiment with layering colors. It’s like Earle is in conversation with artists like Hiroshige, or even Cezanne, thinking through nature, volume and space, and then responding in his own unique way. That’s what it’s all about—artists riffing off each other across time.