Dressing Wells 1961

Wayne Thiebaud made this painting, Dressing Wells, with oil on canvas. Can you imagine him in the studio? I love the image of these three containers, each holding a primary color and each with a kind of tongue depressor sitting inside. It is all very still, yet there is so much to see. The paint is luscious, and the surface is built up with thick strokes that catch the light. I can almost feel the weight of the pigment and the careful touch of the brush. It’s as if the artist is showing us the ingredients of painting itself. I find myself wondering what Thiebaud was thinking as he painted each stroke, each line? Did he plan it all out, or did he let the painting evolve on its own? The way the colors play off each other, the way the forms suggest shadows and depth – it all creates a sense of mystery and intrigue, don’t you think? These wells of color remind me of Jasper Johns. There is this incredible conversation happening between painters across time. Painting really is an embodied form of expression. It's all about embracing the ambiguity and finding new ways of seeing.