Waterloo Bridge, Overcast Weather 1901

Claude Monet, the great en plain air painter, was really onto something when he made this image of Waterloo Bridge during an overcast day. Just look at how those strokes of violet, pink and grey come together! You can almost feel him standing there, battling the elements. I wonder what it was like for Monet to create this? Maybe he was squinting through the fog, dabbing at the canvas, trying to capture the elusive light. It reminds me of when I am in my studio. It is like the painting shifts and emerges through trial, error, and intuition. The way he builds up the surface with these short strokes, it's not just about recording what he sees, but about creating an atmosphere, a feeling. Other artists like Turner were also invested in light and atmosphere, and you can see the way they were inspiring one another at this time. It’s like all of us painters are in an ongoing conversation. And as we continue to create, our art embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations.