Figure in Blue Grays 1975

Eyvind Earle’s ‘Figure in Blue Grays’ is an illustration in gouache of a kneeling figure, and it lives in an in-between place: not exactly illustration, not exactly fine art. I can imagine Earle carefully building up the image, laying down smooth, flat areas of colour with such control and precision. It’s like he’s holding his breath while creating those sharp, clean lines that describe the figure’s back and flowing hair. There's something about Earle's method that emphasizes form, and reminds me of Japanese woodblock prints. The title gives it away: the palette is restrained, almost monochromatic. But notice the grays are cool, silvery, and they contrast with the black, and white of the figure. It’s a painting of quiet contemplation. Earle worked as a background artist for Disney, contributing to films like Sleeping Beauty, and you can see that influence here. There’s a touch of fantasy, of fairytale, in the way he simplifies and stylizes the figure and surrounding landscape, conjuring a world that feels both familiar and dreamlike. It's a world all his own, but in conversation with the one we inhabit every day.