Three Pines

Christopher M. Stephens

"Three Pines"

Oil on Paper 1996

The artist says, “Three Pines was painted in Richmond in the Summer of 1996. The actual location was unremarkable; it was on the edge of a construction site on the University of Richmond campus. But from the confusion of images offered by this view, I was able to extract the forms of the painting and arrange them to my satisfaction. My working method enables me to do this. I make many small drawings, and when one shows promise, I do larger drawings on paper that is sturdy enough to support oil paints.

“Most of the actual painting takes place in the studio, away from the subject, during which time the image hopefully gains solidity as a formal and personal statement. My goal is a complete image in which all the elements of the subject and of color, value, line, and form work together.”