Overlooking the Valley of the Gouffre, Charlevoix 1915

Clarence Gagnon must have used oil paint to make this painting of the valley of the Gouffre. The way he’s daubed and stroked the paint makes me wonder about his process. Did he start with broad washes and then build up to the details, or did he dive right in with those confident strokes of blue and white? I feel like I’m there with him, breathing in that crisp air, feeling the chill on my cheeks. See how the blue paint seems to drip down the mountainside? It’s like he’s captured the very essence of winter, the way the cold seeps into everything. Then there's that band of orange in the distance, just a hint of warmth to break up all that ice. The dark, textured strokes of the forest in the foreground create this wonderful contrast with the smooth, snow-covered fields beyond. It's kind of magical. Painters have always been in conversation with one another across the ages, and Gagnon's work is part of that ongoing dialogue. It’s like he's whispering secrets to us, inviting us to find our own meanings in those brushstrokes, which is what painting is all about anyway.