Untitled (from Pasadena Box) (Lembark L59) 1963

Sam Francis made this print as part of a series called Pasadena Box, and just looking at the wild orange and blue shapes, and the splatters of green and yellow, I can imagine him making it in the print shop. It's easy to picture the moment when the ink hits the paper—that little thrill of controlled chance! Did he plan those kidney-like shapes, or did they just emerge from the process itself? I bet that Sam knew how to let the paint do its thing! I reckon he enjoyed pushing the boundaries, a little like Miró in that way. It reminds me of my own process—the back-and-forth between intention and accident. You throw something at the canvas, and then you respond to what happens. That big, dark blue shape at the centre is really interesting. It feels heavy, but also kind of playful. It pulls your eye around the image. Making paintings is like a dance between you and the medium, an ongoing exchange of ideas across time and space. Each mark is a record of a decision, a feeling, a thought. And the best part is, there's no right or wrong way to read it!