Water Lilies 1907

This is one of Claude Monet’s paintings of water lilies, and you can see that he worked at it kind of indirectly, making marks that almost shimmer. The painting is all about process, about how he built it up through layers. Look at the way he's laid down these greens and blues; it’s almost like the paint itself is breathing. The surface has this incredible texture where you can almost see the individual strokes, the way he dabbed and swirled the paint to catch the light. There’s a little cluster of pink water lilies in the bottom corner, grounding the piece with a touch of warmth. It reminds me a bit of Joan Mitchell, another painter who was totally in tune with color and feeling. It’s all about capturing the moment, the mood, you know? There's no right or wrong way to see it, just the endless possibilities of color and light mixing it up together.