Evening Tides 

Jeff Jamison captured this beach scene in oil paint, a medium that has defined fine art for centuries. But consider how the paint has been applied. Look at the sky, a patchwork of brushstrokes, the clouds built up from dabs of color. Notice how the creamy, thick consistency of the oil paint allows Jamison to build texture on the canvas. The paint itself almost seems to mimic the shifting, ephemeral quality of the clouds and the water. The scene is a familiar one of leisure and recreation, seemingly far removed from the world of labor and production. However, the artist’s hand is evident, a reminder of the labor required to create even the most fleeting of impressions. This work asks us to consider not just what is depicted, but how the act of painting itself shapes our understanding of the scene, blurring the lines between observation, representation, and the physical act of creation.