Holiday, Mission Beach 1938

Charles Reiffel made this painting, Holiday, Mission Beach, with a clear joy in the process. The brushstrokes are visible, almost like you can see his hand moving across the canvas, layering the paint to build up the scene. Look at the way he's handled the figures on the beach. They're not precise portraits, but rather dabs and dashes of color that suggest form and movement. The texture is thick in places, especially in the sky, giving a sense of atmosphere and light. See how the colors blend and blur, creating a hazy, sun-drenched feel. This kind of painterly approach reminds me of someone like Pierre Bonnard, who also used color and texture to capture the feeling of a moment. Reiffel isn’t trying to give us a perfect picture; he’s inviting us to feel the energy and vibrancy of a day at the beach. It’s less about what’s there and more about how it feels to be there.