Lakeshore 1930

Theodor Pallady's "Lakeshore" is a landscape in oil paint, and it feels so immediate, like it was made right there on the spot, en plein air. I love how the browns and greens sit together. He's not trying to trick you into thinking this is exactly what he saw. Instead, he's using paint to give you a feeling. Look at the water, the paint is thin, almost washy, and then compare this to the scrubby brush marks of the foliage which feel much thicker. I want to know what kind of brushes he used to make this. Pallady reminds me a bit of Bonnard, the way he uses color to evoke a mood and how he captures the fleeting beauty of a moment. Like Bonnard, he's interested in the poetry of the everyday, and how we can find beauty in the simplest of things. For me, that kind of generosity is what painting is all about.