Three morning sessions in a beech forest outside Cluj produced this portrait-format canvas, which records the particular quality of October light filtering through thinning canopy. The vertical format was dictated by the subject — the eye wants to travel upward into the trees.
The path was painted last, after the surrounding forest was established, so its colour responds to the light already present on the canvas rather than being decided in isolation. The fallen leaves were the most reworked area.
About the artist
Elena Constantin divides her practice between large-scale oil paintings and smaller illustrative works on paper. She is drawn to the everyday poetry of domestic and garden scenes, approaching each subject with a patience that transforms familiar objects into sustained visual investigations.
Based in Cluj-Napoca, Elena balances teaching at the local art school with her own studio practice. She accepts commissions for portraits and interiors, and has a particular interest in working with clients to paint spaces that hold personal significance.
