Breakfast on the grass 2005

A copper samovar, a green vase crowded with yellow daylilies and white blossoms, a silver platter of green apples and cherries, and a scattering of cucumbers and glassware are arranged on a red cloth spread directly on the grass between two birch trunks. Beyond the trees a still lake and dense forest stretch under a pale, sun-hazed sky.

Bright yellow and green dominate the flowers and grass, set off by the warm copper samovar and the red cloth beneath everything. Sunlight is suggested with a pale glow at the horizon and quick white highlights on metal and glass. Brushwork is loose and dabbed throughout, giving the whole scene a lively, sunlit, outdoor freshness.