City by the Bay 1995

LeRoy Neiman made this painting of the city by the bay with a riotous collection of colours applied with confident, expressive marks. Neiman’s impasto technique gives the artwork a tactile quality. You can almost feel the energy of the city radiating from the canvas. Notice how the thick, textured paint captures the shimmering reflections on the water. The colours aren’t mixed subtly, it’s more like he’s throwing paint onto the canvas with the sheer joy of creating. See that red boat to the left there? It’s a perfect example of how one confident stroke of paint can immediately convey the idea of a thing. Neiman's work reminds me a little of Joan Mitchell, in that both artists use colour and gestural mark-making to capture the essence of a place. It’s art as an ongoing conversation, with each artist bringing their unique perspective to the table. It's about letting the process guide the way, embracing ambiguity, and finding beauty in the unexpected.