Maynard Dixon

Quantum Sufficet

by Maynard Dixon 1921

American b. 1875 - d. 1946

O, I am Maynard Dixon,

And I live out here, alone

With pencil and pen and paint brush

And campstool for my throne

King of the desert country

Holding a magic key

To the world's magnificent treasure

None can unlock but me!

At times come terrible moments

When desire fill full my soul,

And women and wine and cities

Seem a compelling goal; - 

But I wake with a start to my desert

And it's lovely vistas unfurled, -

I'd rather be Maynard Dixon,

Than anyone else in the world!

Dixon was a great Painter and pretty good Poet.  I especially like his paintings from his early and mid career.  The painting shown above is in the Denver Art Museum.  I recently spent some time studying it in person...a real pleasure and the photo does no justice to the painting.  Here are some of my notes from my time with it:

Change in value and temp on shapes as they have both sun and shadow.

Varigated colors within one brushstroke - Door frames are a great example.

Big, flat color shapes.  

Complementary colors.

Expertly but simply defined forms like the horses, modeled with a few unblended strokes of color or the door frames painted with one stroke each in thick, variegated paint.