Finnish landscape. Tulolansaari island. 1918

Nicholas Roerich painted this Finnish landscape, Tulolansaari island, with what looks like gouache, and it's all about how he builds up atmosphere through these cool hues. The paint handling is pretty direct, you can see each stroke doing its job of defining the form, almost like he's sculpting with color. Look at the way the light catches the peaks and ridges, it's not blended, but layered, creating a real sense of depth and texture. The brushstrokes are so physical, so present, it reminds me that making art is really about thinking, acting and feeling, all at the same time. Roerich’s approach makes me think of Marsden Hartley, another artist who used a limited palette to express something epic and sublime about nature. Both artists remind us that landscape painting is not just about representing a place, but about capturing a feeling. There's something both solid and dreamlike at work here.