Munro’s landscapes are infused with a vivacity that is restorative. Not merely mapping the terrain,

she suggests a feeling of open space and atmosphere, which almost induces an intake of fresh air.

Even winter’s bracing chill brings clarity. Roads are often included, which suggests a journey from

somewhere, and tree-lined avenues offer a further destination into woods or fields.

Munro lays down her paints alla prima with such panache as to capture the invigorating effect of

nature. Some of Munro’s landscapes are so vividly naturalistic that you can hear a loon’s cry.

In others, the artist embellishes the color and intensifies perceived patterns, which evokes a

heightened sensory or emotional effect. Within tree-filled spaces, trunks run from the bottom to

the top of the canvases, implying the sheltering canopy above. Gathered in rhythmic arrays,

these sharply drawn bands composed of sinuous contours provide both structure and spatial

complexity, with some arranged on the surface picture plane and others staggered throughout.

Interpenetrating grasses, bushes, and leaves add soft contrast, as do shifts in tonality that suggest

varying light. Using complementary colors such as blue and orange, Munro creates a visual snap

as well as counterpoint of cool and warm sensations — like simultaneously feeling the chilly damp

of the forest floor and the heat of the sun as it filters through the branches above. Rather than the

disconnect of being alone, these landscapes offer the immersion and richness of solitude in

which one can get in touch.

Stephanie Grilli