The Mill in Winter 1921

Edward Willis Redfield made this painting, The Mill in Winter, with oil on canvas, and it’s a real testament to the joys of getting lost in the process. Redfield’s got this way of building up the image with layers, not just describing what he sees, but almost like, rediscovering it each time he puts down a stroke. The colours are muted, wintery, but there’s warmth hiding in those yellows and browns of the mill itself. Check out how the thick daubs of paint create this crunchy texture on the snow-covered banks. You can almost feel the cold, damp air, right? And see how the reflections in the water are not perfect, but broken up, impressionistic? It reminds me a bit of Courbet, that same love for the materiality of paint, for the physicality of the world. Art isn't just about what you see; it's about how you see it, and how the artist makes you feel it too.