Powder Horn c. 1936

John Fisk’s ‘Powder Horn’ captures the pale and muted colors of teal. I wonder what kind of brush he used to make it. There’s a feeling of soft rendering and blending here that suggests he was trying to get it just right; maybe Fisk found himself in the midst of something totally unexpected. I know that feeling. You start out thinking it will be one thing, and then suddenly—BAM!—the painting has taken you somewhere else entirely. I can sense Fisk experimenting, pushing, and pulling the material around to find its essence. He probably spent countless hours staring at the work, trying to figure out what it needed. It’s a quiet painting, but full of feeling. I can almost feel the hours he put into it, the concentration, the doubts, and the breakthroughs. I recognize his way of working from other painters I admire. He's speaking to them, and they're listening.