Tonalist Painting?

[Chris Saper]

I have always thought that the bookends, "tonalist" and "colorist" are defined by the final appearance of the work, rather than the process. In between the two lies a smooth continuum. By example, I would generally describe the work of painters like Richard Schmid and Jeremy Lipking as tonal in nature. Conversely, the work of painters like Harley Brown or Doug Dawson are, to me, colorist in nature. As an aside, though, I also think that colorists can not be successful unless they are also accomplished tonalists.