From Joan Mitchell's loaded brushwork in Before, Again IV (1985) to Wayne Thiebaud's
painting Candy Counter (1962), in which lush pigment seems to frost the images of cakes, a tactile application of paint energizes both abstract and figurative canvases.
Best known for his rich, colorful
paintings of cakes, ice cream cones, and
candy counters, California artist Wayne Thiebaud (b. 1920) has been an avid and prolific draftsman since he began his career as an illustrator and cartoonist.