The Picture
Original painting using Daniel Smith watercolours, with embellishments, on deckle edged watercolour paper, with a quote, unattributed, ‘What screws us up most in life is the picture in our heads of how it’s supposed to be’
Sold unframed 30cm x 42cm
This artwork is a subtle, contemplative composition — a layered grid of rectangular and square shapes in shifting shades of blue, arranged on textured white paper. From translucent sky-blues to rich, inky tones, the colour palette creates a quiet rhythm, like breath or tide.
Cutting across the geometric calm is a single, looping black line — fluid and continuous, it winds its way through the blocks like a wandering thought, softening the structure and bringing movement to the stillness.
Embedded within the piece are three circular stamps, each containing text around its edge. Together, they reveal a quietly subversive quote: “What screws us up most in life is the picture in our head of how it’s supposed to be.” The stamped forms interrupt the softness with intention — a conceptual counterpoint that adds depth and quiet tension.
The result is a balanced conversation between control and flow, certainty and change — a minimalist abstraction that gently invites reflection.
Detail 1
Detail 2
Detail 3