The Apple Paring 1945

Clementine Hunter made 'The Apple Paring', and right away, you can see she's laying down color with such confidence; it's like each brushstroke is a decision made without hesitation, really process-oriented. Look at how she uses the paint; it's not about blending or realism, it's more about the joy of putting color next to color, like that earthy green against the bright red of the apple. You get a real sense of the surface, the way the paint sits on it, thick in places, thin in others. Take that tree, it’s like she loaded her brush with a big dollop of green and plopped it right on, then she dabbed at it to suggest the leaves, and, pow, there it is. There is a kind of kinship with Grandma Moses; both artists capture these everyday scenes with such a directness. It’s not about perfect representation but about conveying a feeling, a memory. It’s art that invites you in rather than keeps you at a distance.