Bistrița Valley 1965

Dumitru Ghiatza made this painting of the Bistrița Valley with oil paint in no particular year – but look at those colours, like jewels scattered across the canvas! Imagine Ghiatza standing there, brush in hand, trying to capture the light as it shifts across the hills. The paint is thick, applied in these confident strokes that build up the landscape, piece by piece. There’s a real push and pull, a dialogue between the artist and the canvas. Notice the way he’s used blues and greens to suggest depth, the mountains fading into the distance. I love how the textures of the trees are built up with small dabs of paint – it’s almost like he’s recreating the landscape from memory, one mark at a time. I see echoes of the impressionists in his work, that attempt to catch a fleeting moment, but with a uniquely personal twist. It's all about feeling, isn't it? And that's what keeps the conversation going.