Hello friends,

Last week I wrote about the things that make me feel alive, and how painting is one of them. This week, painting asked something else of me: to choose.

When I prepared for Small Light, I cut more paper than the collection needs. That was on purpose. It means I can paint more pieces than I need, and then decide which ones stay.

The medium landscapes are where that choice is happening now. I have painted three of them so far. I need at least three more, and I have paper ready for nine.

A CLOSER LOOK

How do I choose? I look for a natural sequence. A theme. Similar colors, or fields of color that carry from one piece into the next. These paintings follow a single evening, so they need to flow together, the way the light does.

There was a moment with the first three when I thought I would scrap all of them. Instead, I mixed more paint and reached for my favorite freestyle technique, the card swipe. I arrange the paint directly onto a flat surface, like a credit card, and swipe it, paint side down, across the painting. Then water and brushstrokes finish it off.

I did not scrap them.

FROM THE STUDIO

And the pieces that do not make it into a frame? They do not disappear. Some might be cropped. Some might be transformed with a looser technique. They might get a new life, and join the collection later, or be offered as prints or digital downloads.

Small Light opens in early December, about a month from now. And the gift I set aside for you, the people who read these letters, will reach you then.

AN INVITATION

Have you ever been ready to give up on something you made, and then found a way to bring it back? I would love to hear about it. If you feel like sharing, the comments below are open.

Natalia

Wild Landscapes. Living Systems. Shared Belonging.