Two Twelves 1973

LeRoy Neiman conjured this splashy scene, *Two Twelves*, with a bravura of strokes in blues, tans, and blacks. I can almost feel him at work, pushing the paint around, letting the image emerge from the chaos, not unlike the chaos of a sailboat race! You can see how Neiman loads his brush and then swooshes it across the surface, creating these dynamic lines that evoke the speed and energy of the race. The paint isn't trying to be still; it’s alive and kicking. He’s not just painting a picture, he’s capturing a sensation. It reminds me a bit of some of the Italian Futurists, who were also obsessed with speed and movement. You can feel the spray of the water and the tilt of the boat. Each stroke communicates a feeling, an intention, a meaning. It’s like he's saying, "Here, feel this! Feel the wind, the waves, the adrenaline!" And through his process of painting, he invites us to see, think, and experience the world in a new, visceral way. It's a reminder that painting is an ongoing conversation, and each artist brings their own unique voice to the table.