Evening Preparations 

John Michael Carter, born in 1950, created this painting, likely in the late 20th or early 21st century, with oil on canvas. You can really see the texture of the paint, the way Carter has dabbed and swirled it on the canvas to create the scene. It is not about photorealistic depiction, but rather the effect of light. Notice how the light from the bathroom spills into the other room, illuminating the objects within. He builds up the image through labor-intensive layering of paint, almost like a mosaic. It's a familiar subject, a domestic interior with a woman, presumably involved in her nightly routine. Yet, it is the very act of painting, the physical application of pigment to canvas, that gives the image its vitality. Carter’s skillful engagement with materials, his focus on light, elevates it beyond a mere snapshot. It is through attention to process that the ordinary becomes extraordinary.