Shooting Yellow, 48"x 60"

James Nowak’s Shooting Yellow, part of the Flowing Color Collection, is an assertive study in color dynamics, rhythm, and directionality. While many works in this series emphasize flow and harmony, Shooting Yellow radiates energy, velocity, and confrontation. With its sharp contrasts and explosive chromatic interplay, the piece captures a sense of movement that is both disruptive and vital, evoking the force of a sudden burst or a collision of energies.

The painting is anchored by a commanding yellow form that seems to thrust through the canvas. Unlike the softer bands in Cool Blue or the jagged vertical tension of Sharp Yellow, the yellow here feels like an eruption—fast, forceful, and untethered. The surrounding colors—black, red, blue, and perhaps softer transitional tones—do not merely coexist with it but seem to be pushed aside, pierced, or destabilized by its sudden entry.

The directional thrust implied by the yellow shape gives the composition a kinetic quality. It does not rest; it propels. Its angularity contrasts with the more fluid layering seen in other works of the collection, emphasizing disruption over equilibrium. The chromatic arrangement—bright yellow against darker or cooler tones—heightens this sense of contrast, amplifying the drama of collision.

Thematically, Shooting Yellow embodies the idea of intrusion, vitality, and transformation. The yellow element can be seen as a metaphor for illumination breaking through darkness, or for sudden inspiration disrupting inertia. At the same time, the aggressive nature of its incursion suggests conflict: the cost of breakthrough, the resistance encountered by new forces entering established fields.

In this reading, the painting becomes a visual allegory of struggle and creation—moments when something new forces itself into existence, not gently but with an uncontainable surge of energy. The “shooting” quality suggests not just direction but danger: energy that is raw, sharp, and unfiltered.

Within the broader Flowing Color Collection, Shooting Yellow serves as a counterpoint to the calmer, more balanced works. Where Cool Blue evokes serenity and Sharp Yellow emphasizes structured conflict, Shooting Yellow captures rupture and propulsion. Together, these works form a spectrum of emotional and visual states: from calm flow to sharp tension, to explosive disruption.

Critically, Shooting Yellow is powerful because of its refusal to remain neutral. It unsettles the viewer with its velocity and aggression, pulling them into the intensity of its moment. Unlike purely contemplative works, this piece provokes a visceral reaction: the viewer may feel exhilarated, startled, or even overwhelmed.

The work underscores Nowak’s ability to use abstraction as a psychological mirror. The yellow may be interpreted as creativity, vitality, or optimism—but equally as disruption, violence, or warning. Its ambiguity is precisely its strength, leaving viewers with an open-ended encounter that depends on their own inner states.

James Nowak’s Shooting Yellow is an abstract explosion of force, capturing the essence of movement and rupture within the Flowing Color Collection. By harnessing color as an active, directional energy, Nowak moves beyond representation into the realm of psychological and emotional experience. The painting stands as a vivid reminder that abstraction need not be still—it can shoot, fracture, and propel, embodying the very dynamism of human life.