Curtained Nest

Curtained Nest, 2009

Watercolor on watercolor stock, 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"

I'm often torn about whether to give names to these, or not. I could call all of them, or many of them, Untitled. But I love giving them titles.

At the same time as I love the naming, though, I don't want to lead a viewer strongly in a particular direction, a particular way of seeing a piece, when that person could be seeing it with fresh eyes, seeing things that I didn't see in it. I hope, if you see cliffs, or forests, or underground streams, or - who knows? - planets in deep, dark outer space, that you'll stick with your way of seeing this.

This is one of my favorites, somehow. It started out seeming rather unpromising, to me - rather impoverished colors; one shape I liked quite a bit with a bunch of boring parallel lines, and a couple of indifferent areas of color; some directional shapes and spaces that didn't seem to go anywhere. I still liked it, but couldn't see where it should go to come alive. I think the journey this one took shows the value in continuing when you can't see the road ahead - now I love it.

For me, it has a kind of sweetness, while still feeling light - the delicate taste of maple sap before it's been boiled down to maple syrup, rather than the thicker, warmer sweetness of honey. And along with its warmth, there's a cool, breezy feeling about it.

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