doodling in watercolours, revised

 the perfect model, the right tools, non-judgemental mindset, et voilà:









Addendum March 28:

As I grow older (omg here she goes, again!) I have come to appreciate ambiguity.

I will attempt an explanation, although that in itself would rather be beside my point.

In my early years I yearned for clarity and believed there might be an answer to every question, if one kept on asking long enough. Thus I read and read and researched and imagined I found answers in someone else’s words and used quotes to survive the chaos.

I am now aware I have come to see things from a slightly different angle, every answer begs at least five more questions, there are no absolutes, we all hold our opinions close to our hearts and are surprised some else has a completely different point of view, if not careful you could feel insulted and even grab a weapon to prove your point.

Within life there is death – one could say the greatest conundrum of all – there is no end, except The End, or should I say My End, as of course Life moves on, irrespective of who or what.

The reason I got to thinking along these lines, is the growing awareness within self of a subtle change in my attitude towards my work, i.e. everything I make. I never strove for perfection (a whole new issue which I am not even going to enter here) but I did like clarity, which can be many things, but that is not what I’m on about here; what I imagined I was making was an object in which my thoughts/feelings etc were clear and apparent to the viewer, notwithstanding their own viewpoint.

These days I am more and more surprised, not so much by what happens in the process as that has always intrigued me, but by the fact I now embrace ambiguity, am fascinated by the not-knowing what it is that has happened. How the resulting image still holds many secrets, how I am now able to stop ‘improving’, how I increasingly trust the handiwork to reveal what needs to be revealed, even though I don’t understand it myself.

Part of this story is illustrated by yesterday’s water colour doodles, only later did the words arrive.

Comments

Dana said…
Oh Saskia....fabulous!
Saskia said…
thanks Dana, all of a sudden there was a yearning for the paintbrush!
Julie S said…
the second from the bottom, the left piece. Perfect capture of dog energy at rest but at the ready. They all have energy in the strokes. Brava!!
Ms. said…
What did I say on face book...I don't recall the words. So let me say here that these 'doodles' are simply perfect...the sort of freedom one can only wish for. DELIGHFUL
Saskia said…
Julie an Michelle: I am blushing, well not quite, I'm afraid I do not blush easily, however am delighted and encouraged by your comments.....I have rediscovered the enjoyment and freedom working in watercolours can bring
Marin said…
Very recogniseble, eventhough I use other ways to express myself. The older I get, the more I see that there is more to see. Less rights, wrongs and facts and much more angles and viewpoints.
Life seems to get more inspiring every day.
Anonymous said…
I remember being 21 and listening to a friend's father say, "if I could teach my son one thing, it would be to embrace ambiguity." I don't remember a lot from my 20's, but I remember that.

But more -- this pictures are wonderful, full of gesture, energy, mystery... perfect (yes, perfect!) illustrations for your point.
Anonymous said…
Heu saskia , your work enriches my view on animals..... ik hou ervan
i learn a new english word ....
" embiguity " dubbelzinnigheid ...
a word to think of the meaning in his different way
groetjes M.
THESE BRUSH DRAWINGS ARE TOTALLY
AND COMPLETELY
.......MAGNIFICANT.......

MAGNIFICANT

and to me, related to your
cloth work

i cannot believe my eyes...such
wonder full images
Thank you for allowing them
Saskia said…
hi Marin and welcome to this almost entirely feminine forum...for those of you who haven't met Marin before, he's family as he married one of my cousins on my father's side of the family tree, he expresses himself through words and is a great story teller!

thank you Dee, as you too are a dog lover your comment re the images means a lot to me! And Yes to ambiguity, ha!

ha M. jaja, daar ben je weer; ik moest laatst even aan je denken en nu lees ik je woorden hier, goed dat je er was.

ah Grace, 'magnificent' well I'm almost too intimidated to try again, almost!! the thing I love about the water colours is the speed with which they are made, such a difference from the stitching, and I agree they are connected to the cloth-work, everything I make is related I guess, but also on a deeper more instinctive level, intertwined
intimidated...
well...maybe because of how they CAME
this time when you were looking for
nothing, just going
but they are the Essense of beings...
you somehow channeled into that
essense....
it's beauty full, the innocence it
takes/took you
Saskia said…
tomorrow I will continue Grace
Dana said…
I love the addendum...I, too, have come to a place in my life where the clarity I craved as a younger person has given way to an acceptance and appreciation of the unseen tendrils and shadows in which I am entwined.
i'll be watching
waiting
Anonymous said…
yes you are as pure as the windthread woman , your work reflect that , love it
i say thanks to you ,even to myself to meet you

tungsten

tungsten

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