Water Lilies 1906

Claude Monet conjured this dreamy ‘Water Lilies’ painting with oil on canvas, capturing light and water in his distinct way. The surface is alive with movement, each brushstroke dances like sunlight on a pond, reflecting the fleeting moment. Look closely, and you'll see how he builds up the color with layers of thin, transparent strokes. It's almost like he's not painting objects, but rather the very sensation of seeing. I’m drawn to the lower part of the canvas where the lily pads float. There is a sense of the artist making marks to denote their placement and being happy to leave it at that. There is a confidence in not needing to ‘fill in the gaps.’ You can sense his presence, his hand moving across the canvas, trying to hold onto something that’s always changing. It reminds me of my own process, the struggle to capture something elusive, something that slips away as soon as you try to define it. Monet's later works become even more abstract, like Rothko’s, dissolving form into pure color and emotion.