Clayton Beck III

All of these paintings may not have been executed Alla Prima (i.e. in one sitting) -- but they all do feel fresh, bold, and quickly done..  So there's excitement -- but also  some disappointment when viewed up close.

Most of the portraits feel more like head studies -- but this one really does express the strong personality of its sitter - our resident cartoonist/tree trimmer.

Back when the Pallete and Chisel owned property in Fox Lake, members would get together to paint outdoor nudes like this one.

The background feels  like it was filled-in after the figure was painted. It also feels more expressive  than the figure.

The spirit of Antonio Mancini seems to be alive and well in 21st C  Chicago.

These two miniatures are amazing

 

I wish he showed more landscapes.

With its many figure model workshops suitable for quick sketching - or quick painting - and its association with the Plein Aire Painters of Chicago, the Palette and Chisel mostly attracts artists who like to work quickly while looking at nature.

Which, depending on your feeling for quality, can be a very great challenge.  Like running across a tight rope in a strong wind.

Working with oil paints and a full color palette, Clayton is especially acrobatic and ambitious.  But his work also tends to feel formulaic.  The figures feel like studio models, and the greatest emphasis seems to have been on  bravura brushstrokes.