Gumball II 1973

Charles Bell made this painting, Gumball II, with oil paint on canvas. I can only imagine the many hours the artist spent rendering each gumball, peanut, and reflections off the glass. The painting is so realistic! I wonder if Bell always painted in this style, or did he experiment with other ways of making a painting? I bet he was fascinated with Pop Art. There's something satisfying about how the artist composed the painting, cropping the jars so you can't see the whole thing. Like a good abstract painting, the composition keeps your eyes moving and finding new things to look at. I hope you like the painting, and I hope it inspires you to make your own! Artists are constantly in dialogue with one another, riffing off each other’s work. I always say, the more you look at art, the more art you can make.