Ancient Tree 1992

Eyvind Earle's "Ancient Tree" is a painting, though when it was made I couldn’t tell you; look at the details here, it’s like he was obsessed with making marks! The tree’s surface is a web of delicate lines, like the pen of an etching, with color dotted in between, creating this vibrant, almost shimmering effect. It’s such a meticulous process, and you can feel the artist’s hand in every tiny stroke. There’s a real sense of patience at play. Focus on the lower part of the tree, see how the roots become these tangled, snake-like forms? It’s fascinating to consider how Earle uses these forms both to describe the physical structure of the tree, and as a kind of metaphor for growth, decay, and resilience. Earle reminds me a little bit of Charles Burchfield, another artist who found endless inspiration in the natural world, and also made animation for Disney! But where Burchfield was all about mood, Earle is more about this super-detailed, graphic style. It's a beautiful reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, and there are so many ways to see and interpret the world around us.