By the Lake

Laima Drazdauskaitė's work By the Lake was painted in 1970, two years after she had completed her studies at the Lithuanian Art Institute. This piece was created in Drazdauskaitė's characteristic manner: it is possible to recognize what has been painted, but the object is depicted in generalized form and artistically transformed.
Let us take a closer look. We can see that the canvas has been divided into two horizontal parts. In the lower portion we see trees, while above them is the sky. Do you notice that the earthly portion is lighter and more lively? Tree branches have been painted with spontaneous and lively brushstrokes, even appearing to move in a slight breeze. The sky, while brighter, is more quiet. The even, blue expanse gives an impression of depth – thus the artist creates a feeling of balance, harmony and peace.
Why was the artist interested in this simple nature motif? After her studies, she returned to her native Kaunas and began teaching at an art school. Artistic life was thriving there. At that time, in the 1960s and 1970s, the school was a haven for Antanas Martinaitis, Ričardas Povilas Vaitiekūnas, Edmundas Saladžius, and Robertas Antinis. All of them were heavily influenced by the painter and instructor Antanas Gudaitis. This patriarch of the pre-war Kaunas art school, then still a teacher, would say: "Only a craft can be learned. Art cannot be learned. You must learn from nature, and an artist must transform nature." These thoughts also encouraged Laima Drazdauskaitė to look differently at nature.
The motif of a lakeshore was also chosen for a reason. At the time, the painter was working at the Pažaislis Convent, when the impressive baroque convent ensemble had been turned into artist workshops. Imagine the romantic atmosphere of a neglected convent, with the murmuring Kaunas Reservoir and the convent gardens right next door... And tree branches against a new spring sky. The sensitive eye of the artist did not have to look far for inspiration.