Aaw076 Barbara Zaring Penumbra sqs Barbara Zaring

The composition presents a landscape dominated by a series of undulating hills and mountains receding into the distance. The artist employs a vibrant palette, prioritizing intense hues of green, red, yellow, and blue to convey a sense of energy and dynamism. The foreground is characterized by an orange-yellow field that abruptly transitions into a densely forested area rendered in shades of emerald and deep green. These colors are not applied realistically; instead, they appear as blocks of color, contributing to the overall stylized aesthetic.
The mountains themselves are depicted with sharp, angular forms, their peaks piercing through a sky filled with voluminous white clouds. The clouds are painted with thick impasto, creating a tactile quality that contrasts with the flatter application of color in other areas. A strong sense of depth is achieved through the layering of these elements – the foreground field leads the eye towards the mid-ground hills and then to the distant mountains, all under a dramatic sky.
The artist’s brushwork appears loose and expressive, suggesting an emphasis on capturing the emotional impact of the scene rather than precise detail. The absence of human presence or any signs of civilization contributes to a feeling of isolation and grandeur.
Subtly, theres a tension between the vibrancy of the colors and the implied vastness of the landscape. This juxtaposition might suggest themes of nature’s power and beauty alongside humanity’s smallness in comparison. The intense color palette could also be interpreted as an expression of heightened emotion or a subjective experience of the natural world. The overall effect is one of a dreamlike, almost surreal vision of a mountainous terrain.