Children in Woods 1905

Frank Benson painted ‘Children in Woods’ with oils on canvas, and look at the way he’s dabbed and swirled the paint to create something so visually charming. I imagine Benson outside, squinting a little, brush dancing over the canvas as he tries to capture the hazy light filtering through the trees. The girls in their white dresses, it's like he's trying to bottle some kind of magic, right? The brushstrokes are like a caress, gentle and full of light. There’s a generosity in how he’s rendered the folds of their dresses, each one catching the light. The color palette is soft, luminous, and calm. It feels like a moment suspended in time. Maybe Benson saw something of himself in these kids. I’ve spent years trying to get that same feeling into my own work. Maybe that's what all artists do: chase a fleeting moment.