Portsmouth Harbor, New Hampshire 1909

William James Glackens made this painting of Portsmouth Harbor, New Hampshire using oil paint and a brush, and it's a real beauty. The brushstrokes are so present, so visible – they’re not trying to hide the act of painting, which I always appreciate. Glackens isn't trying to give us some hyper-realistic view. Instead, he's exploring the texture of the world. Look at the way he builds up the rocks in the foreground with these chunky dabs of paint, how he captures the light glinting off the water with these vibrant blues and pinks. The brushwork alone almost gives you the sense of the ocean breeze and the smell of salt. There’s this little patch of green grass in the lower right corner, these quick strokes that bring a different energy to the painting. It reminds me a little of Maurice Prendergast, who knew how to make a painting feel like a party. Ultimately, it's a reminder that art is about seeing, feeling, and experiencing the world in new ways, with every stroke of the brush.