In a Fog 

Sarah Joncas created 'In a Fog' using oil on panel, a medium that’s been central to Western art for centuries. Oil paint’s capacity for smooth blending allows Joncas to create delicate, almost photographic surfaces. The layered approach, the careful application of thin glazes of pigment, builds up depth and luminosity. This is not a quick process. It demands patience and precision, revealing the amount of labor invested in the artwork. The smooth surface, the muted color palette, and the subject's tranquil gaze all contribute to the work’s serene quality. The misty backdrop of trees, rendered with the same meticulous detail as the figure, suggests a dreamlike state. Is this a painting about an individual, or the representation of something shared, like memory, or a feeling? The artist's choice of oil paint is a deliberate engagement with tradition, even as the image itself seems to float free of any particular time or place. Considering the artistic and cultural traditions engaged in the painting, it's clear that materials, making, and context are essential to understanding the full meaning of this work.