Red Barn 1974

Eyvind Earle made this painting, “Red Barn,” with what seems like a super-controlled technique. No drips here! The color palette is very specific: reds, whites, blacks and violets. See how Earle uses the violet to suggest shadows on the ground? Everything is about the surface, which looks like it's been built up with smooth layers. I wonder if it's acrylic or gouache. It's really about the shapes and how they fit together to make a scene that feels both real and totally invented. Look at the trees framing the barn. They're so dark they’re almost like cutouts, but they also have a lot of texture. Maybe Earle used a dry brush technique to create the bark, that would make a nice contrast with the smooth planes of the barn and the ground. Earle's bold color choices and simplified forms remind me of Milton Avery. Both artists are masters of mood and feeling. They show us how much you can say with just a few carefully chosen elements.