Bouquet by the sea 1960

David Burliuk made this painting of a ‘Bouquet by the sea’ with what looks like thick strokes of oil paint, creating texture that you can almost feel. I can just imagine him, standing there with his brush, building up layers of colour, pushing and pulling the paint around the canvas. Those vibrant pinks and oranges in the flowers contrast with the cool blues and greens of the sea, like he’s trying to capture the energy of the ocean and the softness of the blooms all at once. Look at how the light catches the edges of those petals. It’s like he’s trying to hold onto a fleeting moment. Maybe he had his back to the sea and was painting fast trying to finish the piece before the colours changed. Burliuk's work, like that of many painters, reminds me that art is a conversation across time. We all borrow, steal, and reimagine what’s come before, adding our own voices to the mix. And ultimately, that’s what makes painting so alive. It's a back and forth of ideas, a way of seeing and feeling that keeps evolving with each new artist who picks up a brush.