Passage

Passage, 15x15 watercolor. Passage explores the quiet journey of a young girl as she discovers that the courage she seeks in her lion has always been within herself.

Some paintings come together naturally. Others force us to question everything we thought we knew. Passage definitely belongs in the second category.

Reference photo from Brenkee (Brenda Kean) on Pixabay

I've had this reference photo for a long time. It reminds me of my childhood, but also of my own life journey. When I was little, my parents gave me a giant stuffed lion after my baby sister was born. I loved curling up between its paws. It made me feel safe. Looking at this little girl walking with her lion, I immediately imagined a story.

To me, she is walking alone toward an unknown future. She believes the lion gives her strength, when in fact that strength has always been inside her. That is the story I wanted to tell: moving forward despite fear, doubt, and uncertainty.

Before picking up my brushes, I spent a great deal of time thinking about the composition. After experimenting with different formats, the square composition felt right. I imagined the left side as cool and textured, representing fear and hesitation, while the path, the lion, and the light would be warmer. Everything seemed planned... until I started painting.

Over several weeks, I created one study after another. I experimented with different papers, pigments, granulating colors, mediums, charcoal, and wet-on-wet techniques. Each version solved one problem but created another. The granulation was beautiful, but it competed with the girl. Sometimes the colors were too dull; other times they overwhelmed the story. The more I chased the perfect technique, the further I drifted from the emotion I wanted to express.

Passage, study 1

Passage , study 2

Then one day, I stopped trying to control the painting.

While making a simple study on inexpensive paper—without granulating medium—I realized something important: the technique was never meant to be the focus. The story was.

That realization changed everything. I simplified my palette. I abandoned effects that demanded too much attention. I allowed the white of the paper to become part of the composition. Instead of painting every object, I began painting shapes, light, and atmosphere.

And finally, Passage appeared.

I discovered that the white of the paper is not empty space. It tells the story just as much as the pigments do. It gives the painting room to breathe and quietly guides the viewer's eye toward the girl and the lion.

Passage may not be as visually dramatic as Presence, but I believe it tells a quieter, more intimate story. One that slowly unfolds and invites each viewer to bring their own experiences to it.

More than anything, this painting taught me that an artwork does not become stronger by adding more technique or more effects. Sometimes it becomes stronger when we dare to take things away.

Below, you'll find several of the studies that gradually led to the final painting

Passage, study 3

Passage, study 4

Passage , study 6

Passage, study 7

Passage, study 8