Ancient Tree 1992

Eyvind Earle made this painting of an ancient tree using a fine brush and a rich but muted palette. Imagine him, totally absorbed, layering those delicate lines to build up the texture of the bark. I can almost feel the patience it must have taken, watching him coaxing the paint across the surface, building up the gnarled, mossy skin of the tree. There's a real sense of growth, of something ancient and enduring. It's interesting how he uses these sort of curvilinear shapes – they’re not quite realistic, but they communicate the feeling of nature. The subtle shifts in tone and the way the light catches the edges make the whole scene shimmer and feel alive. Painters are always looking at each other, across time. I wonder if Earle ever looked at Klimt? Or maybe he found his inspiration just walking in the woods, you know, and letting the trees speak to him. We bring our own selves to the experience of a painting, and it’s always an exchange, a conversation.