There is so much I want to say about nature, what it means to us, and why I want to paint it. As I am working my way to a new form in my art, all these questions are dangling in my head.
This week, the effort is to clarify what I see and how I want to express it. It was clear last week, it is not anymore. There is too much going on in my mind, too many things I want to do at once.
This sketch shows where I am: it is crowded and overworked. It had to be, because that is how I figure out what I want. Ideas have to materialize into paint and paper before I decide what to keep or not.
I am aiming for simplicity and clarity. But I am painting profusion, trial and error as well as some emerging color ideas.
I love the intensity of gouache. After the freshness and limpidity of watercolor, which I also loved, it feels as sensuous as chocolate. And while I am discovering what I can do with it, this simple pleasure fuels my quest.