I follow my intuition quite a bit when I paint, but I honestly can't remember another painting that has evolved quite like this one.
Usually, I begin with at least a vague idea of what I want to create.
This time, I had absolutely no intention beyond having fun experimenting with abstract marks, colors, and textures.
In fact, I thought it might eventually become a botanical abstract.
But when I returned to the painting the following day, I noticed the faint suggestion of a mountain among the marks I'd made (see red arrow). Curious, I decided to tease it out a little and see what happened.
And somehow, that mountain began to look like the head of a bear!
So I followed that little nudge and accentuated the bear. More mountains emerged, followed by a feeling that the painting needed water in the foreground. Then another bear appeared in the water.
Later, while adding a few distant mountain shapes above the bear's head, I noticed that one looked remarkably like an eagle.
Well, you can probably guess what happened next
One intuitive nudge after another. One little breadcrumb leading to the next.
What's been so delightful about this painting is that I genuinely haven't known where it was going. I've simply remained curious and willing to follow whatever wanted to emerge.
While I'm following these intuitive nudges, I'm also mindful of creating a cohesive painting. I want to keep the imagery relatively simple, relying more on shapes and atmosphere than fine details, while adding just enough visual interest to keep your eyes moving around the composition.
And I have to laugh because this was supposed to be my year of diving deeper into painting foxes.
Apparently, the bears didn't get that memo!
I don’t have a title for the painting and I don’t know what the painting means yet. I haven't really sat with it yet. I've been too busy enjoying the experience of watching it unfold.
And perhaps that's part of the gift of this particular painting. Not needing to know where I'm going or what it all means. Just trusting those little nudges and enjoying the discoveries along the way.