Jieun Beth Forest 2015

Felice House made Jieun Beth Forest sometime in the 20th century. You can tell she used layers and layers of paint to build up this image of a woman in the forest. I can imagine Felice stepping back, squinting, adding more blue here, a touch of umber there. Making the woman's shoulders glow against the cool tones of the trees. The way the paint is applied so directly, you can see the marks, almost like the brushstrokes themselves are tiny trees surrounding her. What do you think she was thinking, painting someone so solitary, surrounded by all that nature? It reminds me of other painters like Alice Neel who were really interested in capturing a person’s presence. It's like House is having a conversation with them, adding her own voice to the mix. Painting is like that, you know? A constant back and forth, inspiration rippling through time.