Canal Boat 1908

Clarence Gagnon created 'Canal Boat' with oil on board, capturing a canal scene with autumnal trees. The painting is a dance of color and texture, with the thick impasto of the leaves contrasting the smoother, watery reflections. Look closely and you can almost feel the cool, damp air of the canal. The way he’s built up those leaves with dabs of paint makes the trees feel alive, like they’re shimmering in the breeze. Then, the boat is mostly black and sits there in the water, a dark mass that contrasts with the light all around. The light feels so Impressionistic, I can’t help but think of Monet. But Gagnon's got his own thing going on, too. It’s this quiet sort of scene, but the more I look, the more I see, it is not just about what’s there, but about the feeling of the season. Art, like this little painting, is an ongoing conversation, and Gagnon, much like ourselves, is just adding his voice to the mix.