Urbana #2 (The Archer) 1953

Richard Diebenkorn made this painting called Urbana #2, using oil on canvas. It's full of broad strokes and a palette that’s got these cool blues and greens, like a landscape trying to break free. I like to imagine him in the studio, wrestling with the canvas, pushing and pulling the paint around. He's laying down these thick lines that feel both hesitant and sure. It's like he's searching for something, maybe a memory or a feeling, and the painting is the record of that search. The surface has this amazing texture; you can almost feel the push and pull of the brush. That one swooping black gesture, cutting across the blue, it feels so deliberate, yet spontaneous. You can see echoes of de Kooning in there. And of course, Diebenkorn went on to make his own thing, the Ocean Park series, with a similar sense of space and light. It's like they’re all talking to each other through their paintings. It reminds me that painting is all about being in the moment, trusting your instincts, and letting the painting guide you.