Realist painting: Nature in balance

Oil on linen, mounted on 6 mm MDF, 97 x 56 cm

In this painting we see the gorge created by the Guiers-Mort river, in the Chartreuse mountains in France. Towards the left there is a great boulder that served as a natural bridge for the Chartreux monks who live in seclusion further above, during 400 years. To the right is the more recent bridge, built around 1500. I was inspired by the raw energy of the place, the history that lingers there, the opportunity for composition and just the sheer beauty of this magnificent place. It is humbling and inspiring to be there, and to measure my very inadequate attempts against the place itself. We keep trying!