Richard Pionk, President, Salmagundi Art Club 2002

Frank Mason painted this portrait of Richard Pionk, President of the Salmagundi Art Club, with oil on canvas. He’s gone in with a juicy and complex palette, and it feels like he's improvising, allowing the painting to direct him rather than sticking to a rigid plan. Look at Pionk’s hands, see how Mason has built up the skin tones with layers of short, broken strokes, almost like pointillism. The paint is applied with confidence, not overworked, which gives the portrait a fresh, lively feel. The dark background really makes the figure pop, and the flashes of red in the tie and pocket square add this little punch of energy. I love the confident brushwork around the face, capturing the character with only a few strokes. It reminds me a little of Sargent, or maybe even Manet, that same kind of bravura brushwork. It’s like Mason is saying, “Here’s a painting, but it’s also a record of the act of painting itself.” Ultimately, art isn’t about answers, it’s about the conversation, the questions, and the endless possibilities.