The energy of my “Il Mondo Flotante” work ( the white peonies on a dark blue background) fueled the subsequent work below. This is my largest painting so far, and this piece unintentionally became a continuation of the study I made for Level 2, which is dedicated to developing a personal artistic voice. I am fascinated with the plant Strelitzia nicolai. It is a large, tall plant with elegant, strong architectural stems and leaves. It really deserves a large-size painting. For this work, I used a new, professional quality canvas, which I carefully prepared with gesso and sandpaper.

What I find interesting about this work is the dialogue between the background’s horizontal lines and the stem’s strong geometrical lines.

In the latest work, I unexpectedly worked in darker shades and explored this entirely new range of colours. I usually work with bright greens, but now I see I should paint more with different brown, dark green, and blue hues. I experimented a lot with various sizes and kinds of brushes. I applied some of the traditional Japanese laws of painting, placing the plant slightly off-centre and creating “breathing ” zones in the background, avoiding making it too busy. In the upper part, I left the leaves untouched without any details to create the effect of shadows and a sense of when the words are unfinished, balancing a substantial and detailed bottom part of the canvas. I made this painting effortlessly in terms of the artistic, creative energy flow. I didn’t have any moment when I was stuck like with my other project I worked on using multiple panels; it just came as it was because this work was just taking all of me and unfolding by itself. However, I see a strong connection between the thinking and reflective process on the complex project and the easiness of this one; it looks like when you spend a good time thinking about them, working, and trying new solutions, at some point, there is the sudden payoff, and you produce something at a new level of your creative and technical skills.