Deep Crimson 1988

Eyvind Earle made this painting, Deep Crimson, with flat planes of color and curving lines. I find myself wanting to know what kind of mood Earle was in when he made this. Here, the figure seems to be arching and bending, caught in a dance with gravity, but the branches that fall behind her also seem to be a part of her movement, like the wind, so maybe it's all a dance. The whole image has this feeling of being caught, suspended. Maybe the branches are an extension of her hair, or maybe she's being embraced by something, her emotions reflected in the landscape. I keep wondering about other painters whose works explore similar tensions and emotions, like maybe Georgia O'Keeffe? Anyway, it makes you wonder about the ongoing conversations between painters and their canvases. Artists keep inspiring one another, across time and space, in the same great dance.