Tranquility in the Forest 1972

Ding Yanyong made this painting of a forest with ink, and I can almost feel the brush dancing across the paper. It's a world made of wet marks, where light and shadow chase each other through the trees. I can imagine Ding, totally absorbed, his mind a whirlwind of memory and feeling. Did he pause, brush hovering, deciding where to place the next dab of ink? I know that feeling! The challenge of capturing not just what you see, but what you feel, that tension between intention and accident. Look at how the dark, saturated ink bleeds slightly into the paper, creating soft edges, while other strokes are sharp and decisive. The painting reminds me that art isn't just about the finished product; it's about the messy, unpredictable process of creation. It also reminds me of other painters, people like Joan Mitchell, who make marks that are full of feeling, and how we are all inspired by each other. It makes me want to get back to my studio!