Untitled (Rocky Shore) c. 1920

Paul Dougherty’s "Rocky Shore" is a painting of the sea, made with oil on canvas. The marks are loose, almost gestural, like the artist was trying to catch a feeling more than a picture. Looking at the rock in the foreground, you can almost feel the wetness and the texture of the stone. The paint is thin, washy in places, but then thickens up to describe the peaks of the waves. You can see the canvas texture coming through, which gives it a nice, raw feel. I really appreciate how the limited palette—mostly grays, blues, and creams—creates such a stormy, intense atmosphere. Dougherty's work reminds me a little of Winslow Homer, another painter who was obsessed with the ocean. But where Homer is more about narrative and drama, Dougherty seems more interested in the pure act of painting, in capturing the energy of the sea. Painting like this is all about the process of looking and responding. It's like the painting becomes a record of a moment, of a direct encounter with the world.