The portrait of one poplar 2013

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this portrait of a poplar tree with watercolour. It's a study in black and white, mostly black, a real monochrome moment. I love how the marks are so direct and drippy. You can feel the artist loading the brush and then letting it flow. It’s a confident kind of gesture, not too precious. The paint kind of blooms on the paper, doesn't it? I can imagine Krupa standing there, maybe it was cold, squinting at the tree. He makes these quick decisions about where to put the darks and lights. Then, he lets the water do its thing. The tree isn’t just “there,” it’s emerging. It reminds me a little of some of the ink drawings of Jasper Johns. All us artists, we’re always looking at each other, borrowing, stealing, paying homage. It’s one big conversation. Painting, after all, is about making something appear out of nothing.