Autumn in Light

A tunnel of trees bursts into flame-colored life in this 2023 painting by Erin Hanson, titled "Autumn in Light." Fiery oranges, sunny golds, and cool greens tangle overhead while a quiet path curves through the woods below. Hanson works in a style she named "Open Impressionism," building the scene from thick, unblended dabs of paint that sit shoulder to shoulder. Up close the strokes look almost abstract, but from a step back they snap into the flickering glow of sunlight caught in leaves.

Mostly self-taught, Hanson sharpened her method while painting the wide landscapes of the American West. She likes to finish a canvas fast, before the paint dries, which is part of why her colors stay so lively and clean. One of her clever tricks shows up in the shadows here. Instead of the dull browns you would find in a real fall forest, she fills those darker pockets with blues, purples, and soft pinks, turning an ordinary woodland walk into something bright and a little bit magical.