On Pentimento

I have added a new section called Pentimento. In painting, a Pentimento is “the presence or emergence of earlier images, forms, or strokes that have been changed or painted over.” One of Lillian Hellman’s memoirs is entitled “Pentimento “ which she described this way: “Old paint on canvas, as it ages, sometimes becomes transparent. When that happens it is possible, in some pictures, to see the original lines: a tree will show through a woman’s face, a child makes way for a dog, a large boat is no longer on an open sea. That is called Pentimento because the painter “repented,” changed his [her] mind. Perhaps it would be as well to say the old conception, replaced by a later choice, is a way of seeing and then seeing again.” This form appealed to me for many reasons, not the least of which has to do with how that sentiment captures for me, the aging process. “The Dancer” for instance, is a figure of an older woman with cane and chair painted over a previous painting of several poses by a younger and very agile dancer. My use of Pentimento then is different from the typical because it is much more intentional, not relying solely on the accidental passage of time.