In the studio 8/29/15

I finished Taking Note this morning. This was my 15th session with the 42″ x 56″ oil. I don’t know the sitter. She is (I think) on the staff of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

I finished the painting titled 'Taking Note' this morning

I finished the painting titled ‘Taking Note’ this morning

To me, this painting is pretty abstract, but all my paintings seem that way to me. Perhaps a better word than abstract is formal. I know I’m cooking with gas when everything resolves in parts that can be reassembled. When I was younger, I emphasized the formal aspect of my work. These days I no longer do that; paintings aren’t treatises. Besides, if the formal approach is real, or–if you prefer–valid, then it’s natural.  Putting aside this flap-doodle, I like paintings that let you discover the formal elements, like Poussin, and not shove them in my face, like so many second-raters.

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