Odalisk 

Tia Peltz painted this ‘Odalisk’ with what looks like gouache or watercolor on paper. These are accessible materials, associated more with illustration than traditional fine art. The brushstrokes are fast and economical, and the colors are thin, allowing the buff tone of the paper to come through. You can really see the artist's process, the layering and juxtaposition of hues and tones. The swiftness of her technique could be tied to commercial production and consumption, rather than the slower pace of a classically trained academic painter. The model’s headdress and jewelry are depicted with simple, flat color, devoid of detail. Peltz was not interested in making a precious, finely finished surface. Rather, she prioritizes a sense of immediacy. Her art is in the making, not the illusory image, and this is what gives the artwork its character and charm.