Fall Scene near Sisterdale 1909

Robert Julian Onderdonk made this painting of a Texas Fall scene with oils, I imagine mixed with a little bit of turpentine. Look at how Onderdonk conjures the landscape with these short, dab-like marks. The painting feels so alive, like it’s always in the process of becoming. I wonder if he felt that too, standing there with his easel amidst the tall grass. You know, what is it like, standing in that spot? The challenge of capturing a moment, that ever-shifting play of light and shadow. I feel a connection with the way he uses paint, so gestural and free. The way he renders the sky with broad strokes, and then the way he adds the flecks of yellow and white, like wildflowers scattered across a field. It reminds me a bit of other painters like Monet, capturing fleeting impressions of light and color. Isn’t it amazing how artists across time are in this constant dialogue, inspiring each other? They make us realize painting is a language that goes beyond words, a way of expressing what's felt.