Black and White Study by James Edward Scherbarth

Black above, white below, and one small scribble in the snow that refuses to stay quiet.

This painting, Black and White Study, is by James Edward Scherbarth (1949-2021), dated 2014, in oil and cold wax on cradle board, signed and dated en verso. Limiting a painting to black and white is a classic exercise, leaving value and texture to carry everything color usually does. A dense black field fills the upper two thirds, with a faint blue-green glow at left. Below, a pale gray-white band is scraped and scratched. In it, a tangle of fine dark line trails off in a long thin tail. It is 12 inches wide and 12 high.

Two colors, one doodle, no wasted effort.