Horse Races in Winter 1924

Clarence Gagnon made 'Horse Races in Winter' with small brushstrokes of thick paint. It makes me think of a quick sketch made outdoors, capturing the energy of a fleeting moment. I'm sympathizing with Gagnon here. It's like he's trying to catch the light bouncing off the snow, but the colours also evoke the warmth of a winter scene. The whole painting feels very immediate, like you’re right there in the middle of the action. The texture of the paint is so important. See how he's layered the strokes to create depth and movement? I love the dashes of bright red that pop against the muted tones of the snow and sky. It's a technique similar to Impressionist painters like Monet or Pissarro, where each stroke is a building block of colour. I bet he and they would have had a lot to talk about. It's like he’s saying: "Hey, look at what I can do with a brush and some paint!"