World Inspired Landscapes: Poland

Poland is a large, low lying country in central Europe known for its biodiversity and varied geography. Its history goes back as far as any European country to the stone age, and they had a succession of rulers over the centuries, all the while the country appears to have stayed relatively intact in terms of its borders. It was annexed by the Soviet Union but the people fought back, and they were one of the first countries to regain independence leading to the fall of the Soviet Empire. Poland was also a major site of the Holocaust tragedy, and it still bears the scars and memories of the concentration camps. With such a storied history, there could be whole books filled with information on it. To do the painting, I thought about a fall scene, and noticed that Poland has a lot of forests, and they even have chestnut trees. In the foreground, chestnuts lie on the ground among red leaves. The trees have a dark yellow colour which gives everything an ominous glow. 

World Inspired Landscapes: Poland i, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, October 2024

 

I was not convinced by he first painting so I tried a second idea, this time showing an agricultural panorama. At work, somebody hung a Van Gogh poster, Wheat field under clouded skies, which depicts a blue sky with swirling white clouds and an incredible field underneath, like a tapestry in variations of green. In my painting, the idea was to create an autumn scene, like the harvest is done and everyone is waiting for winter. It has a calm sky, so it should be called Wheat Fields under Calm Skies perhaps.

World Inspired Landscapes: Poland ii, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, October 2024