Figure with Shirt 1967

Neil Welliver made this painting, "Figure with Shirt," with oil on canvas. The paint is applied in these chunky, deliberate marks, and it’s so clear how Welliver built up the image, layer by layer, like a puzzle coming together. The color palette is so refreshing. It feels modern, yet also timeless. I find myself drawn to the way the water reflects the figure and the surrounding landscape. It’s like a distorted mirror, bending reality and creating a sense of depth and movement. You can almost feel the cool water against your skin. Welliver’s process reminds me of Fairfield Porter. Both shared a similar interest in capturing the quiet beauty of everyday life, but Welliver’s mark making feels more immediate, more raw. Art is always a conversation between artists, across time and space. We’re all just trying to make sense of the world in our own way, one brushstroke at a time.