Autumn Leaves 2004

Tetyana Yablonska made 'Autumn Leaves' with what looks like pastel, maybe even a wax crayon situation – you can just feel her working through it. There's something so intimate about the way she's layered these colors. Look at how the yellows and greens blend, creating this soft, diffused light around the leaves. It's not about precision, it's about capturing a fleeting moment, a mood. You can see the strokes, the texture of the paper coming through – it’s all part of the story. Notice the dark, almost frantic lines around the stems. It gives a feeling of things that are ending, autumn leaves don't last forever. Yablonska's work reminds me a little of Joan Mitchell, in the way she uses color to evoke emotion. But Yablonska has this quiet, personal touch, making something new with the familiar.