Baxter Knowlton
Paintings
I paint mostly portraits, both commissioned and of the people in my life. This show includes still lifes and figurative work, which I approach the same way I do any other painting—trying to paint what I see as directly as I can. l use a very limited palette, mostly to simplify my thought process and avoid distraction. My goal is to make things look as truthful, solid, and believable as I can, giving as much attention to the subject as possible. Whatever style emerges is more a result of the struggle to get the drawing, color, and value right than anything else. I don’t want to project any meaning or narrative onto what I paint. There’s more than enough meaning and even beauty already, by virtue of the subjects’ existence, without the need to add any or comment on it. Maybe the only comment needed is this: here is my little corner of the world, as well as I can recreate it in paint.
