Day 2,
Brushstorm 2 is the second iteration of yesterday’s piece. Still fueled by the energy of Chinese and Japanese prints—somewhere between ink wash, calligraphy, and an active void—I push the experiment further by reversing the direction of reading. Instead of building from left to right, I construct the image from right to left, shifting the viewer’s entry point, breaking my habits, and forcing my eye to “think backwards.”
In this approach, the right side becomes the threshold: a call (a red/yellow accent, a black mass, a sign) that first catches the gaze. From there, the composition unfolds toward the left like a moving breath: the black shapes act like reliefs or rocks, the grays behave like mist, and the finer lines become traces—currents, scratches, trajectories. The empty space isn’t background: it structures the balance, creates pauses, and strengthens the densest gestures.
I also work with a hierarchy of marks, echoing calligraphy: one or two “master” gestures carry the main energy, while lighter secondary marks add rhythm and depth without overload. Finally, I aim to create a zone of calm—a quieter area—to heighten contrast: silence → storm, breath → impact. Brushstorm 2 becomes a map of winds and strikes, where the eye enters from the right, hesitates, returns, and then gets absorbed by the material.
Collect on: