Birch Trees! (Oil on Canvas)

I'm going to let you in on a little secret: unless it's totally obvious to me per the style/talent exhibited (or lack of it, in most cases) or the plebian, mundane, soul-sucking subject matter (Northern Lights, Birch trees, snowy mountains, gnomes etc) sometimes I don't actually know if a painting is done in acrylic or oil. My rule of thumb is, if I'm not sure and the painting hurts my eyes/spirit/soul, I call it acrylic. Do you see where I'm going with this? Well allow me to retort:

I kinda like this painting! Even though it is of freaking overdone tiresome boring trite irksome Birch trees, I kinda like it. This artist knows his/her stuff. What's funny though is that my gut tells me the artist phoned this thing in. Look at the fence: confident, casual, masterful brush strokes. Great, right? But then there are those weirdo tree shadows: not so great. The grass? Exceedingly feeble. But then the oddball "Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" angle/perspective helps to make up for it. The tree trunks are uninspired but then the leaves kinda look nice. I don't know what to make of this, actually. It's good despite the birch trees though, not because of them. Honestly? I think I'm just crushing on that freaking fence, man.

Overall, despite it's flaws, I like this painting and I find myself wondering if this same artist didn't also do the muuuuuch better painting shortly to follow ("Cityscape Looking Up") because it too shows beaucoup talent and old-school legit real "cut off an ear" / "Tie Down Your Easel!" artist brushstrokes I would kill to be able to do. 

Artiste:I salute you!