uncertainty

Turner (1775-1851) the wonderful british landscape painter said that he paints uncertainty, that resonates with me. Having worked mostly in a monochromatic manner for many years with charcoal dust, making marks and tones, erasing to find form and direction, sound to me like the perfect metaphor for uncertainty. Maira Kalman also made uncertainty the subject for her book where she profusely illustrated a year in her life abounding with anguish, confusion, bits of wisdom, musings, meanderings, joy and rest. I am in awe of Maira’s ability as writer and illustrator. I paint daily. Recently I started exploring a limited zorn palette in oil. Over a few months I made small works on a gel plate and reworked the printed version into small finished paintings. The gel plate provided me with courage as the initial print surprised me with marks that looked more sophisticated than what I could produce at the time. Slowly confidence grew and I have moved onto bigger surfaces. The zorn palette refers to a palette of colours attributed to the great swedish painter Anders Zorn (1860-1920). There were only four colours that he painted with, ivory black, which is a cool black and can be used as a very dark substitute for blue, titanium white, yellow and red. He mixed those masterly into the most beautiful palette. I allow myself an added colour, french ultramarine blue. We live on a very steep block on a peninsula where the sky tells continuous stories throughout the day. I can not imagine to be without the ultramarine blue, which enables me an attempt to search for the subtle blues I see displayed from my studio on the hill.

like Maira Kalman I also would like to say, how can I tell you everything that is in my heart, impossible to begin she says, enough, no! begin.