Ski Jump 1946

William H. Johnson made Ski Jump using paint on board. I love the energy of this painting, it feels immediate, like a snapshot. Johnson wasn’t afraid to be bold. Look at the dark blue he’s used for the sky, contrasted with those bright yellows and reds. The paint is laid on thick, and you can see the strokes, the movement of the brush. He's captured the feeling of hurtling down a slope, the wind in your face, the blur of the landscape. Those little white dashes? Are they snowflakes, or the spray of snow? I love how the artist simplifies everything down to these essential marks. It’s like he's saying, "This is what it feels like, this is the essence of the experience." It’s almost like looking at a Marsden Hartley, another artist who wasn’t afraid to use bold colour and simple shapes to capture the feeling of a place. It reminds us that art isn't about perfect representation. It’s about feeling, and about capturing a moment in time.