26th December 2015 at Korana river 2015

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this watercolour on paper in Croatia on Boxing Day, 2015. The blues, greys and browns blend in a way that feels completely intuitive. It’s like, he’s not just painting a scene, but capturing a feeling. Up close, you can see how Krupa uses the watery transparency of watercolor to create layers and depth, letting the white of the paper shine through. The brushstrokes are loose, almost gestural, with a calligraphic quality to them. Look at the way he renders that mass of snow-covered branches, the way he builds form out of washes of blue and grey, letting the water do its thing. The whole thing feels like a dance between control and chance, and you can see the hand of the artist, but you can also see the way the paint has its own life. Krupa's watercolor brings to mind some of the landscape works of Lois Dodd, who shared his interest in depicting familiar places with an emphasis on light and atmosphere. Both artists demonstrate how ordinary scenes can become extraordinary through careful observation and a willingness to embrace the unpredictable qualities of their medium.