Untitled [landscape] 1955 - 1967

This untitled landscape was made by Richard Diebenkorn using gouache and crayon. See how the colors aren't blended so much as they are laid down side by side? I love how this speaks to the process of artmaking, where each stroke and color choice is a visible step in the journey. Looking closer, the texture here is amazing. The paint isn't trying to hide itself. It’s thin in some places, thick in others, and the crayon lines add another layer of physicality. Check out that broad grey expanse of the road, built up through many layers of crayon, its gradient a tonal symphony of blacks and greys. You can almost feel the grit of the asphalt and the heat rising off it. Diebenkorn reminds me a bit of Fairfield Porter in the way he captures the mundane beauty of everyday scenes. Both artists teach us to see the world around us with fresh eyes, finding poetry in the ordinary. What do you think?