For painter Jean-Pierre Jacquet, the pieces in his collection that are among his favorites are the ones that speak to him. What they often seem to say is “Get loose.”
Jacquet offered one of his own pieces to serve as the bookmark for this discussion, but in a way, it is also the culmination of the influences from the other three. “In terms of technique, that painting was a breakthrough moment for me, when I realized that looseness and sketchiness translate in freedom and freshness,” he says. “No more tickling the canvas — just jumping in the deep end. And it’s easier when the likes of David Santillanes, Randall Sexton, and Lori Putnam whisper in your ear.”
“Delta Chevy,” by Randall Sexton, 2013, oil on board, 12 x 16 in. Collection of Jean-Pierre Jacquet
First, a look at the Santillanes painting that Jacquet picked. “The piece floored me instantly: the subject, the light, the composition,” says Jacquet. “Also intriguing was the fact that this piece was one of three of the same subject: plein air rendition, larger studio treatment, and full-up studio painting, each showing slight variations but totally faithful to the plein air ‘notes,’ to quote the master himself.”
“She Gets Around,” by Lori Putnam, 2015, oil on panel, 9 x 12 in. Collection of Jean-Pierre Jacquet
Next is a painting of a truck by Sexton, a man who likes painting vehicles. “In my view, this is a perfect example of a relatively mundane subject glorified by a vivid, loose, and energetic treatment,” says Jacquet. “There is not one superfluous brushstroke in this painting. And I love its unfinished quality, with the paint trailing off, as if the artist were telling us, ‘Folks, this is a painting of a Chevy, the way I like them — not a slavish photographic rendering.’”
“Willett Street,” by Jean-Pierre Jacquet, 2014, oil on board, 18 x 13 in.
Last is a painting of a trolley bus in Charleston by Putnam. “This is another example of looseness, economy of brushstrokes, quiet energy, and mastery of light,” Jacquet says. “Yes, those cars are barely rendered. Yes, the details on the trolley bus are sketchy. But do you need more? Of course not. And that thing is alive.
