Untitled c. 1970s

Gil Elvgren made this painting probably with oils, though I’m no expert, and perhaps without a specific date to obsess over. Look at her there, perched so prettily! She's an idea as much as a person. I wonder what it's like to be a painter like Elvgren, thinking about curves, light, and how to make a body seem almost touchable. Notice the thick paint he lays down, especially in the highlights on her dress and the subtle blush of her skin. You can almost feel the give of the fabric, the warmth of her smile. It reminds me of a luscious dessert, something rich and a little naughty. I imagine Elvgren, brush in hand, teasing out these details, lost in the sheer pleasure of looking. It’s a dance of looking and making, each informing the other. Like Picasso said, "I do not seek, I find." And isn't that what painting is all about: finding something new in the act of doing? Artists play this game throughout time, each adding their own flavor to the mix.