Sea Cliffs and Pine Branch 2000

Eyvind Earle made this painting of sea cliffs and a pine branch, and it's a place where color becomes a feeling. The surface is so smooth, almost like glass, with layers of greens laid down in gradients, making it seem like a dream. Earle just lets the greens be, with a precision that's kind of wild. Look at the pine branch on the left, dark and reaching, a cascade of needles so precise and yet so free. It’s not just a branch, it’s a whole mood, casting its shadow on the lighter greens behind it. The white space is interesting, too – is it sea, or land, or just a breath? It lets your eyes keep moving, keep wondering. Earle reminds me a bit of Milton Avery, in his love for landscapes. This painting is not just about seeing, but about feeling the world around us, in all its beautiful ambiguity.