Big Poplar

During the long confinement we were reduced to our own limited resources. So I dug up an old piece and sanded it down for a fresh painting. Unfortunately, a good portion of the painting resisted removal. One of my favourite games is what we as kids called “Squiggles”, where you have to create a scene from arbitrary marks made by your competing sister. So I decided to see what I could do with the long shape dominating a third of the composition. Taking inspiration from Klimt’s “Der Groß Pappel II”, I made up a landscape. I must be a cheerier person than the famous artist though, because while his has an ominous alternate title of “Approaching Thunderstorm”, mine could be called “A Happy Summer’s Day”.

oil on wood 40 x 51cm (15.75 x 20″) 250€

Here’s what the piece looked like after sanding, and what gave me the idea: