On the Cliffs of Belle Isle on Mer 1913

Maxime Maufra captured this cliffside landscape on canvas with oil paints, and I can almost feel the brushstrokes, the build-up of layers, the artist's hand moving deliberately across the surface. Looking at it, I imagine Maufra out there, feeling the sea breeze, squinting at the sun. The painting seems to pulse with his experience of being in that specific place at that specific moment. I can almost feel the sun on my face. The paint is applied in these small dabs and strokes – like he’s trying to catch the light as it dances on the water. The rocks are rough and textured, built up with layers of pigment. The way he captures the movement of the clouds and the water with such loose brushwork is so impressive. Painters, you know, we’re all in conversation with each other. Maufra was inspired by others and hopefully, someone out there will look at his painting, and feel inspired. He shows us that painting is a way of seeing, feeling, and experiencing the world.