I recently went to the Van Gogh exhibition at the National Gallery in London. It’s called Poets and Lovers. It’s an amazing collection of his work. I am always struck by the thickness of his paint and the liveliness of his compositions. It was such a wonderful experience seeing his art again. The olive tree paintings in particular were beautiful to see. His olive tree series are some of my favourite paintings. I think this is because Van Gogh was able to embody the trees with such character and emotion. His style is far beyond strict representation, and his use of colour compliments his attempts at laying out - in paint - the emotions he felt. I love this idea that, although he painted these pictures over a hundred years ago, we are still able to interpret his feelings and emotions.
As a painter myself, I wanted to recapture the feelings I felt when looking at his art. So I decided to interpret his painting called The Olive Trees, 1889.
And here is my version:
Stylistically they are quite different; but, of course, my aim wasn’t to just make a copy (though this is a very valid thing to do and a useful way to learn new skills). My hope is that viewers of my work will feel something from the way I have painted the olive trees - the motif that Van Gogh loved to paint.
Thank you for reading my post and viewing my art.
Hey Helena! Thank you for your comment. I’m very pleased you have recognised my style. It’s quite daunting taking on a Van Gogh but also very rewarding. It’s risky I feel to interpret a master painting rather than just doing a straight copy. But I feel I’ve learned a bit more which is important. Thank you again for commenting about my work 😃🩵
It's so beautiful! It's clear to me your identity in this art work and this is great! I have a mix of feelings and emotions.The sky conveys a serene beauty to me but there is a movement in the trees that conveys excitement. It's interesting how your brushstrokes and colors convey movement and feelings, especially your trees! I find this art work is so strong and expressive. I believe your goal has been achieved, Mr Alexander. Congratulations!💛🩷🩵💚