Hills at Great Bear Lake 1953

A.Y. Jackson made this painting, Hills at Great Bear Lake, with oil paints probably sometime in the middle of the 20th century. The way Jackson uses colour, especially to define the forms of the hills, makes me think about artmaking as a process of discovery. Look at the textures: the brushstrokes are clearly visible, and the paint is applied in layers, thick in some areas, thinner in others. There's a real physicality to it. Notice the way the light hits the peaks and ridges of the hills. The colours shift and change, from deep reds and oranges to muted greens and browns, which suggests a sense of depth and volume. And then there's that sky, full of drama, with those heavy clouds looming overhead. Jackson reminds me a bit of Cezanne, someone who’s also known for his landscapes and his interest in the structure and geometry of forms. Art is always a conversation, an exchange of ideas and influences across time, right?