where the wild roses grow 2015

Jana Brike painted this work, titled, 'where the wild roses grow', using oils. Oh my gosh, there is so much tenderness in the way that the girl gently touches the woman's face that is somehow embedded in the grass! The colour palette is quite muted, which makes me think of Pre-Raphaelite painting. Maybe she looked at Millais's painting of Ophelia? You can see Brike's brushstrokes have a real lightness of touch, almost like she wants to capture the ephemeral quality of dreams or memories. Her light touch reminds me of other painters such as Paula Rego, or maybe even Suzanne Valadon. When I look at this painting, I feel like I am watching a secret ritual unfold between two characters in a dreamscape. I am also struck by the ambiguity of their relationship. Are they lovers, friends, or even two sides of the same person? What is going on here? Painting can make us ask such interesting questions.