Four

The inspiration for Four, oil/canvas, 24" x 48" arrived one day when I was idly stacking blocks in Stella's room. She was running about the room with characteristic joy while I played with her blocks, stacking them in a variety of ways on her table. After constructing four stacks of four cubes each I was struck by the beauty of repeating a shape both horizontally and vertically. The room was flooded with afternoon light and the colors bleached together in a most pleasing, harmonious way. Four recreates that moment in Stella's room, except I've placed a wall behind the blocks and left details of the table for your interpretation. I love the sense of balance achieved in the painting. I also like the suggestion of progress from the first stack to the last: the stacks become more stable and the blocks more uniform from left to right. This compositional choice is another nod to the power of learning through play.