Gentle Circle, 30" x 40"

See more paintings at the Glorious Brushstrokes Collection.

James Nowak’s Gentle Circle, from the Glorious Brushstrokes Collection, synthesizes two of his central artistic concerns: the expressive spontaneity of gesture and the discipline of geometric form. Where other works in the collection revel in raw improvisation, Gentle Circle integrates gestural immediacy with structural anchors—most notably the bold circular arcs and rectilinear elements that frame the composition. The result is a meditation on containment and release, chaos and order, energy and calm.

The composition is built on a vivid sky-blue ground, against which gestural strokes of cream, red, orange, and black play out dynamically. Loose, sweeping brushstrokes appear to dance across the surface, layered and intersecting in unpredictable rhythms. These are countered by deliberate geometric interventions: bold black arcs that echo the circle of the title, and sharp yellow verticals and horizontals that cut across the field.

This tension between gestural freedom and geometric restraint establishes a visual dialogue. The brushstrokes embody vitality and movement, while the arcs and rectangles provide a stabilizing frame. The square of lighter aqua blue, nested within the larger blue ground, adds depth and spatial layering—suggesting not just a flat canvas, but a stage upon which forces collide.

The title Gentle Circle invites an interpretation rooted in balance and cyclical continuity. Circles traditionally symbolize unity, eternity, and return, while the brushstrokes evoke impermanence and spontaneity. Together, they create a paradox: a circle that contains but does not constrain, a cycle that allows freedom within its boundaries.

This interplay can be read metaphorically as a reflection on life’s delicate negotiations. Human experience oscillates between structure and improvisation, rules and play, boundaries and freedom. The painting embodies this dialectic, presenting the circle not as a rigid enclosure, but as a gentle guide—an embracing form within which vitality unfolds.

Within the Glorious Brushstrokes Collection, Gentle Circle occupies a unique position. Works like Electric Motion or Dancing emphasize pure gesture and rhythm, while Gentle Circle introduces a stabilizing geometry.

By embedding gesture within geometric scaffolding, Nowak expands the vocabulary of the collection—demonstrating that brushstrokes need not exist in opposition to structure, but can be enriched by it.

The strength of Gentle Circle lies in its balance of opposites. It retains the raw, improvisational energy that defines the Glorious Brushstrokes Collection, yet introduces a conceptual clarity through geometry. The juxtaposition of gestural marks and structural forms avoids conflict by leaning into complementarity, ensuring that neither overwhelms the other.

One possible critique is that the geometric additions risk softening the immediacy of the gesture, pulling it toward design. Yet this is precisely what makes the piece distinctive: rather than relying solely on gestural bravado, it creates a layered, reflective experience.

James Nowak’s Gentle Circle is a compelling fusion of freedom and structure, energy and containment. Through its interplay of gestural brushstrokes and geometric anchors, it transforms abstraction into a meditation on cycles, balance, and coexistence. Within the Glorious Brushstrokes Collection, it stands as a thoughtful evolution of Nowak’s language—reminding us that vitality does not diminish when framed but can in fact flourish within gentle boundaries.