Sold

A Noble Tree was started last fall after painter Stephen P. Brown passed away from cancer. Stephen is one of the most profound and enthralling teachers I have had the good fortune of studying with. His pure unbiased passion for painting and his devotion to teaching made him a hero in the Hartford Art School. Every single time I paint his voice echoes through my mind as if he was right there guiding me along.

It was inevitable that many of the finest points he had taught me were employed throughout this painting. The use of pure color, an abundant layering of paint all composed with an emphasis on a strong, central composition. I wanted this painting to be explosively energetic, just like Stephen. Because of its intricacies, only under bright light will the intensity of the color be fully revealed to the viewer.

Aesthetically the painting is attributed to Edith Dale Monson. Monson was a Connecticut native who studied closely with Robert Henri and was a part of the Ashcan School started in New York City. Effectively capturing the effervescence of urban life since the start of her career in the early 1900’s, her paintings are vibrant, loosely handled and immediate. Specifically, this painting follows a color palette she used in a depiction of the nearby Heublein tower.