Crystal Light 2016

Erin Hanson made this painting, Crystal Light, using a technique of laying down delicious strokes of thick paint, side by side, like a mosaic. I can just imagine her at work, outdoors, trying to catch the light as it shifts and transforms the landscape. Look at how Hanson builds up the space with these confident strokes of colour. Each dab of paint seems to vibrate with energy, creating this amazing texture, so physical and present. I wonder, was she thinking about van Gogh when she made this? It has a similar kind of intensity and rawness, but here it's been pushed even further with this very modern approach to colour. It’s like she's saying that painting doesn't have to be about perfect representation but can be about feeling and expression. And in that way, she is speaking to all of us painters, reminding us of the power and possibility of this medium we all love so much.