Fog Light 1990

Eyvind Earle made this painting, Fog Light, using a layering technique with tempera to build up depth and luminosity. It’s all about the process, isn’t it? Look how the foggy atmosphere softens the hard lines of the landscape, creating a dreamlike quality. The surface has this amazing smoothness, almost like glass, because he was working with thin glazes of color. The trees, silhouetted against the misty sky, become these dark, almost abstract shapes that echo each other across the composition. And then there's that pop of red and yellow in the middle ground, a vibrant counterpoint to the otherwise cool palette. It’s a small mark, but it activates the whole image. Earle’s work reminds me a bit of Charles Burchfield, who also explored nature through a personal, almost mystical lens. But Earle takes it to another level of stylization. It’s a reminder that art isn’t about capturing reality, it’s about creating a new one.