Last Star 2006

Jack Armstrong made this painting called 'Last Star' using bright primary colors, like he was wrestling with something elemental on a small piece of canvas. I imagine he started with that big yellow sun, a blast of optimism, maybe? Then comes the red, like blood or maybe the sunset, layered on thick, kinda fighting for space. It's like he's right there, deciding, reacting, and letting the painting steer itself. Each stroke is a thought, a feeling, a correction. There's an urgency here; a real physical conversation happening between Armstrong and the paint. I bet he knew exactly what he was doing, even when it looked like a total mess. You can see echoes of other painters here – that raw energy, the way he’s not afraid to just go for it. We're all borrowing and riffing off each other, right? Painting is like this ongoing dialogue where we try to make sense of things and it's never really finished.