San Luis Obispo 1999

Eyvind Earle made this landscape painting, San Luis Obispo, with serene greens and deep blues. I imagine Earle outdoors, squinting at the sun, trying to distill the essence of this California scene. The rounded forms of the trees and hills create a sense of calm and rhythm across the canvas. What was it like to stand there, looking at those hills? Perhaps Earle was aiming to simplify and flatten the landscape to create a decorative effect. He probably carefully mixed those greens, layering them to get that luminous quality. That single horse in the pasture – it adds a touch of whimsy, right? The lines are so clean, so precise. Earle's work reminds me of other painters, like Matisse, who found new ways to see the world and distill it into shapes and colours. It’s as if he’s saying: Here’s my version, here’s how I see it, now what do you see? These painters invite us to discover new meanings, to appreciate the unique perspectives of others.