*Phew* Pulling this account out of the depths of FA is about as exhausting as it is for Maui trying to haul an island out of the sea. But after weeks of stagnation, here are a few more painterly snacks. So, here we go.

Most of my paintings originate from the most mundane thoughts, sometimes with more depth, sometimes with less, depending on how fleeting the thought was. This one came about in a similar way — simply a monk lighting a candle, without any further intention.

Since I have no real connection to the subject and even less to the church, the sketch sat for a long time before I added the first layer of paint. Problem: Until then, I wasn't sure about the background. In the end, I decided to try a blurry, undefined background composed of vague shapes and colors, leaving the rest to the eye, yeah, basically a stone wall and a suggested stained-glass window.

After that, the painting sat around for another four weeks, waiting to be finished. Somehow, I didn't want to touch it once more. The result is a quite nice looking monk — or priest, or whatever the cheetah could represent — against one of the worst backgrounds the watercolor world has ever seen. It's a shame, really, because even though the painting didn't exactly inspire me, the shading of the robes is really beautiful and represents a small improvement in terms of coloring.

But here it is.