Longing in blue

Longing in blue

I found a great portrait of Frida Kahlo on the Internet, or rather only the eyes, the classic eyebrows and the lavish floral decoration in the braided hair were visible. To practise, I painted the picture. And I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to draw something of my own, something where the hair and eyes were the centre of attention. When I drew the Frida Kahlo picture, I had the feeling that the bright, vibrant flowers, these cheerful and powerful colours embodied the life she had wished for. And so I imagined what might happen in my own drawing in the head (or rather on the head) of the person I was drawing. As I had just discovered watercolour and was quite unconfident with this medium, it was a kind of test of courage for me to dare to possibly ruin a drawing. The image of a stormy and turbulent sea came to mind and a boat that continues to hold its course despite all adversity. But sometimes it has to let itself be carried by the wave. So I drew a sketch, transferred it to watercolour paper and every time I struggled, hesitated, was unsure about the next step (which could have ruined everything I had created so far), I kept coming back to the boat, which gave me the courage and confidence to carry on. On the other hand, the picture was meant to represent a longing for a (spiritual) expanse, freedom and endless possibilities, something where we limit and restrict ourselves in our minds through conditions, negative experiences and fear of failure before we even start a journey. I have been drawing in watercolour more often since then and this medium is often as unpredictable as the sea for me, but I still love it very much.