A Cloudy Day, Bluebonnets near San Antonio, Texas 1918

Robert Julian Onderdonk made this painting of Bluebonnets in Texas, maybe around the turn of the century. It's a loose, dreamy scene built from strokes of blues and greens, lavenders and yellows. There's something immediate in the way the paint is applied, a sense of the artist working en plein air, trying to capture the light and the fleeting moment. Look how Onderdonk handles the bluebonnets themselves. They're not overly detailed, but rather suggested with dabs and dashes of color. Up close, each mark is almost abstract, just a patch of paint. But step back, and they coalesce into a field of flowers, a sea of blue stretching out to the horizon. You can almost feel the breeze rustling through the petals. The way the colours interact create a feeling of depth and atmosphere. There is a softness in the way Onderdonk blends the colours. It makes me think a little of Impressionists like Monet, who were also interested in capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere. But there’s also a distinctly American sensibility here, a love of the wide-open spaces and natural beauty of the Texas landscape. It's a painting that invites you to slow down, breathe deep, and appreciate the simple beauty of the world around you.