The tree in early spring (The Gaza field in Karlovac) en plein air 1995

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this painting, "The tree in early spring (The Gaza field in Karlovac) en plein air," with oils, probably in 1995. The brushstrokes are pretty visible, like you can really see how he's pushing the paint around. Looking at it, I'm really drawn to the way the paint sits on the surface. It's not super thick, but it's not blended into nothingness either; you get a sense of the stuff itself, the materiality of the paint. See how the sky is made of blues and whites, dabbed next to each other, and the way the light is captured on the field? And the tree! So simple, yet it holds the space. It reminds me a bit of Fairfield Porter, in the way it captures a specific, lived-in place with such an economical touch. Both artists are so good at using paint to make you feel like you're right there, breathing the air. And like Porter, Krupa's work celebrates the beauty of everyday life, reminding us that art doesn't always need to shout to be heard.