Stairwell 2018

Nick Alm made this painting, "Stairwell," and well, right off the bat, you can see it's all about the light and shadow, isn't it? It’s like he's feeling his way through the scene, one brushstroke at a time. The painting has a quiet, almost dreamlike quality. The way the light falls on the walls and the figure, it’s so subtle. The paint isn’t thick, but you can tell it's been worked and reworked. There's this little patch of light right by the window that just glows. It almost feels like that one spot holds the key to the whole painting. Alm reminds me a bit of Edward Hopper, in the way he captures a sense of loneliness and introspection. But where Hopper is stark, Alm is soft, more interested in the mystery than any clear answers. Art is always a conversation, and it's nice to see young painters like Alm joining in.