Looking through the archive of images and quotes I keep for inspiration, I came across a theme I hadn’t realized I was collecting: artists approaching a canvas.

Although, I’ve long kept the legendary photo of Lucio Fontana taken by Ugo Mulas in view,  I was struck by how similar in feel the photographs of Pat Steir, at top, and Agnes Martin, below, are to it.

All are alone facing the canvas, forthright, thoughtful, ready to make a mark, showing up to their calling, and it seems, something bigger than them. There is a feeling of collaboration with the canvas, dialogue perhaps.

This is how I’m viewing the coming year: a blank canvas which I have the opportunity to make into something unique if I have the courage to, and willingness to engage what comes…

We will all get there someday however and do the work that we are supposed to do. Of all the pitfalls in our paths and the tremendous delays and wanderings off  the track I want to say that they are not what they seem to be. I want to say that all that seems like fantastic mistakes are not mistakes and all that seems like error is not error, and it all has to be done. That which seems like a false step is just the next step. — Agnes Martin from “On the Perfection Underlying Life“: