Katherine 1904

"Katherine" is a painting by Clarence Gagnon. Just look at the way the greens and blues of the sea and meadow meet the blazing orange of Katherine’s dress! There's a real push and pull. I can only imagine Gagnon standing there, brush in hand, trying to capture Katherine amidst the wildflowers and that vast sky. Do you think she knew she was being painted? Or did she feel that hot sun on her skin, the breeze carrying the smell of the sea? It’s funny isn’t it, the way paint can take you there? It's almost like a conversation, the painting constantly shifting and emerging. Gagnon's work often features these soft and romantic scenes, kind of in the tradition of Impressionism but with his own quiet twist. It makes you think about all the painters out there, each one learning from the last, adding their own little note to this huge, ongoing conversation. Painting is a way of embracing the unknown, isn't it? And maybe that’s why it still has so much to say.