Sunset Silhouette 1999

Eyvind Earle made "Sunset Silhouette," probably in gouache, using layered brushstrokes to build up an atmospheric, stylized landscape. What grabs me first is the texture, that build-up of tiny brushstrokes, like he's laying down each leaf and rock individually. It's so meticulous, almost obsessive, and yet, the overall effect is dreamy and soft. Look at that tree on the left, how it's both solid and dissolving into the yellow sky. The contrast is great in this piece, between the sharp lines of the cliffs and the hazy, blurred edges of the mist. It reminds me a bit of Arthur Dove’s paintings, that same love for simplifying nature down to its most essential forms, but with a touch more fantasy. It’s a conversation across time about seeing and feeling the natural world. You can keep looking and imagining.