Collaborations with Rain

For years I drew primarily with ink on paper. I loved the process of careful observation, but there was no room for error and my perfectionism needed a break. So one rainy, late summer day, with the kids all back in school, I laid a canvas on my back patio, poured on paint from several different pots, and retreated into my house. The rain did its work; I waited and watched. That first piece was magic.

Since then, there have been months of drought and there have been unexpected downpours that washed canvases clean in a moment. Now I wait expectantly for each next rainfall, and when it comes I offer up paint and canvas to the flow of water and wind. The results of our work together can look like marble, a topographical map, deep space, a sunset, an underwater world, flames, a landscape… I have only begun to scratch the surface, and what shines through the cracks is gold.