Karelia 1969

Petros Malayan painted this scene, Karelia, with what looks like watercolour and maybe gouache, and it's all about layering and the joy of seeing. The paint is applied in these thin, washy layers, like he's letting the place reveal itself bit by bit. Notice that winding path, how it’s not just a path but a ribbon of color that pulls you right into the scene. It's almost like you could walk right into the painting and start exploring. The textures are amazing too - the rough wood of the buildings, the soft snow. It's like he's captured not just how it looks, but how it feels to be there. The colour palette is muted, but the shades of grey and brown create a sense of depth, warmth, and complexity. Malayan reminds me of Milton Avery in the way he simplifies the landscape to its barest, most colourful forms. But ultimately, it's about how these paintings can show us new ways of seeing, of feeling the world around us.