Avec Cigare 1965

Alexander Calder made this lovely gouache painting called 'Avec Cigare' in 1965. It has these great, blobby, colorful shapes on a white ground. I imagine Calder enjoyed putting them on the page; the surface looks smooth and the paint is thin, yet the red, black and blue colours are so intense and alive! I wonder what Calder was thinking when he arranged these forms? The red shapes seem to converse with each other across the surface of the paper. The cigar shape, for instance, looks like a playful joke. Then there are the simple black orbs that offer a grounding contrast, while the blue shape is smaller and off to the side, a quiet presence among the others. I guess it reminds me that as painters, we're all having this big conversation through our work, like a never-ending game of telephone. It’s all about feeling your way through, embracing the unexpected, and discovering meaning in the process.