Women in the Garden 1947

René Portocarrero made this earthy, inky wash drawing, “Women in the Garden”, using sepia tones with outlines in black ink. I imagine it came into being in the moment; an intuitive expression, unburdened by too much pre-planning. I sympathize with the artist’s desire to capture the women in his garden. What did he see? How did he choose what to leave out? I love the thick black marks looping around the perimeters of the figures, and the smaller, more detailed marks defining their features. See how these gestures communicate feeling and intention! It reminds me a little of Ensor, or even Dubuffet. Artists are constantly in conversation with one another, across time, inspiring creativity. Painting is an embodied form of expression, embracing ambiguity. What do you see?