Morning off The Needles 1935

Albert Julius Olsson made this painting, 'Morning off The Needles,' in an unspecified time, probably with oil on canvas, and what strikes me is how the brushstrokes themselves seem to mimic the movement of water and light. It's all about process, isn’t it? The doing of it. Look at the way the paint is applied – thick in some areas, thin in others, almost like the water itself is breathing. The blues and whites blend together, creating a shimmering effect that’s both calming and invigorating. I’m drawn to the lower part of the painting, where the brushwork becomes almost frantic, a flurry of strokes capturing the energy of the waves. It’s like Olsson was wrestling with the sea, trying to capture its essence on canvas. This feels reminiscent of some of Turner's seascapes, that same sense of awe and the sublime, but with a more intimate, personal touch. You can almost feel the sea spray on your face. Painting is just mark making that accumulates, and in this work, the ocean is made of marks.