Farmyard, France 1906

Clarence Gagnon captured this farmyard scene in France with oil on canvas. It's just gorgeous, right? The warmth of the sun on the building really sings out, but you can almost feel the cool, dark shadow cast by the gnarly tree on the left. I bet Gagnon was there in the late afternoon, trying to capture that fleeting light. The chickens scratch around, oblivious to the artist trying to pin down their world. What I love is that this isn't just a picture of a farm. It's also about paint. Look how the colors vibrate against each other, how the brushstrokes build up the textures of the tree bark and the rough walls. It's solid, but fleeting, like a memory. It makes me think of other artists obsessed with light, like the Impressionists. We're all looking, learning from each other across time. That's the beautiful thing about art. It’s a conversation that never ends.