Triple Swirl Fade to Black 1994

Charles Bell, who passed away in 1995, made this painting of glass marbles with an eye for capturing light. I can imagine Bell in his studio, carefully arranging these spheres, thinking hard about how to reproduce their glassy smoothness with paint. The way he renders each marble is remarkable. Look at the details: the way light bends and distorts through their surfaces, casting shadows with soft edges. What did it feel like to paint this? Each tiny brushstroke, each layer of color, slowly building the illusion of depth and form! He’s getting into the nitty gritty, you can tell. Painting is so good at being an illusion – I wonder what Charles Bell would make of contemporary digital art? The process is so different, yet the intention remains the same: to make us see and feel something new.