Fairfield Porter approached painting with no preconceived notions about accuracy or consistency or a “look” that he was trying to achieve. He worked in a wide variety of ways. Certainly he often worked with his subject before him, but not always. Sometimes paintings would originate from drawings.

When Fairfield Porter was hired to write for ARTnews in 1951, the magazine’s editor-in-chief speculated that he would not last more than six months because he was “too intense”. But Porter stayed for eight years. His assignments were diverse. He contributed to the magazine’s ongoing series that focused on artists at work in their studios.

It all begins with an idea.

It all begins with an idea.