A Magical Forest

by Tiara Kroes

A broad band of deep green runs from top to bottom across the picture, like the trunk of an old tree overgrown with moss. At the bottom, the trunk opens out to form a hollow. Within it lies an oval shape in shades of pink, white and violet, soft and light in contrast to all the darkness surrounding it. On the left, the forest is dense and dim, almost black and purple. On the right, it fades into shades of red, pink and lilac.

In the top left, a golden glow filters through the trees. The gold is not applied smoothly, but with texture and scratches, and dark red and blue shimmer through it. This lends the painting a magical quality: in daylight it is understated, but in lamplight it begins to shimmer and the light seems to fall into the hollow in the trunk. On closer inspection, one sees small red dots scattered across the lower half, like berries or sparks, and the layers that have remained visible in the white centre. The work was created in layers, intuitively, with paint being applied, removed and reapplied.

It evokes the feeling of a spot in the woods where you find yourself speaking more softly. A tree shelters in its hollow whatever needs protection. In this way, this work shows that the most precious things are often hidden, surrounded by darkness, with a source of light somewhere.

In a light-coloured interior, it provides a deep, powerful accent. Against a dark wall, however, the gold and the pink centre stand out even more clearly.