Pasture, Old Lyme 1906

Willard Metcalf's "Pasture, Old Lyme" unfolds with strokes of green and blue oils. I can see the layers, the way he built up that big tree on the left. I imagine him standing there, squinting in the sun, trying to capture the light dancing on the leaves. It's like he's wrestling with the scene, trying to pin down the fleeting moment. The paint isn't super thick, but you can feel the texture, especially in the way he suggests the rocky ground. Look at that path winding up the hill – each dab of paint feels like a step. I wonder if he was thinking about Cezanne when he made this, with that interest in landscape and light. Painters are always in conversation, stealing ideas, responding to each other across time. It’s not about getting it "right," but about the ongoing process of seeing and feeling. It's a reminder that painting, like life, is all about embracing the messy, the uncertain, and the beautiful.