Swatches

I jumped out of bed this morning, anxious to get back to this sheet of paper.  That was after waking up several times in the night, my mind racing with paint mixing possibilities.

Ostensibly, these little splotches of color are an entirely practical pursuit.  I need to trim my current paint selections by three in order to fit in my new travel palette.  So, I’m teasing out the minor variations in a few of the most similar options.  

But that’s not what’s driving my obsession with mixing up paint samples.  No, what’s drawing me to these swatches is curiosity.  I’m antsy to see what will happen as they mingle together and then spread out on the page.  

It doesn’t end there, though.  With each discovery, the possibilities (and the questions they raise) extend into a delicious expanse of potential. 

I begin with a straightforward question: what color will these two paints make?  But, the moment I uncover the answer to that, I am immediately envisioning new questions.  
Where might I use that shade?  
What if I had tweaked the proportions?  
What variations can I achieve based on the amount of water I’m using?

Added to all of that exploratory wonder is the act of documenting the process.  I’ve doubtless mixed every single one of these combinations before, and used many of them in my sketchbooks.  But, the intentionality of this exercise is different.  It is note taking.  I’m collecting information so I can compare and contrast.  Creating a record of my observations means I can refer back to it in the future, allowing my investigations today to mingle with ensuing experiments.

These tiny blocks of pigment are simultaneously trail markers and a path leading on forever.  There is no end to the combinations and their uses.  All those possibilities are what draws me forward into further explorations.