Heat Dome

Expertly wrought gradations of reds, oranges, and yellows move their way up and across Judith Skillman’s Heat Dome. The bars of color do not act independently of each other but, instead, coalesce into a united whole. The painting is defined by a loose and gestural approach to a defined structure. Heat Dome is not an Abstract Expressionist flurry of gestures, yet Skillman’s mark-making is not overly restrained by the grid grounding the painting. She loosely adheres to the self-imposed geometry of the background with free and expressive brushwork that does not descend into painterly anarchy. The colors work in unison by a mutual allegiance to form, creating cohesion and direction in the composition.