Balancing between abstraction and figurative, the works of Chris Gwaltney are evocative, luminous, and lush. He balances color with unexpected washes and scribbles; scraping physically from the surface as he generously slaps paint onto the canvas. Having studied Bay Area figurative painters - such as Richard Diebenkorn, Nathan Oliviera, and David Park - and influenced by the works of Joan Mitchell and Robert Motherwell, Gwaltney begins each work with a conversation in mind. He often starts with a vertical gesture, builds with foundations of layers, and allows the composition to reveal itself as he works.