On living like a river

May’s letter to paid subscribers.

“I would love to live
Like a river flows,
Carried by the surprise
Of its own unfolding.”

— John O’Donohue

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Dear friends,

Last week I spent three nights flying over a river. At least, that’s how it felt, as I painted three new panels of artwork for my latest illustrated essay, “Where Two Rivers Meet.”

As I painted, I came to think of the panels as a triptych, and I often worked on them side by side, so that my brushstrokes and shades of blue and green would be consistent across each one.

But what isn’t shown above is a fourth panel I always had nearby, filled with dozens more brushstrokes. It’s where I would try out a color I’d just mixed or get a little paint off my brush before continuing on the panels themselves.

I’ve filled a few of these test sheets now for Dandelion Seeds, and to me, they almost have a life of their own — little “accidental paintings,” as I read one painter has described them.