People, Birds and Sun 1954

Karel Appel made this painting, "People, Birds and Sun," in 1954, using oil on canvas. The colour palette bursts with boldness, a playground of hues applied with visible, energetic strokes. It's like watching a painter think, each mark a decision, a feeling made visible. The texture! Thick daubs and scrapes of paint create a surface that's almost sculptural. Look at the red lines, so bold against the yellow. They're not just lines; they're pathways of energy, pushing and pulling the eye across the canvas. And that black shape toward the top center, does it remind you of a bird or a flower? It's a place of rest in the midst of all that activity. Appel reminds me a little of Joan Miró, that shared delight in the raw, unfiltered expression, like art is an ongoing conversation across time, isn't it? It is not about answers, but about embracing the questions.