Wild Valley 

Eyvind Earle made *Wild Valley* using paint applied to board. The smooth surface gives a remarkable illusion of depth, as Earle built up layer upon layer of thin paint. While seemingly traditional, the process here has a close relationship to commercial image-making. Earle, a master of serigraphy or silkscreen printing, actually made his living creating the scenic backgrounds for Disney’s animated films. Look closely, and you can see the influence of that training, particularly in the way that he handles the trees in the foreground. Earle had a strong graphic sense; he understood how to convey a maximum amount of visual information with a minimum of means. The result is a scene that is not quite real, but rather the product of careful distillation. The painting feels strangely contemporary, despite its conventional materials. It reminds us that even the most apparently straightforward images can be the product of a complex creative journey, encompassing both art and commerce.