In 2016, I’ve been making one small watercolor or drawing per day. The watercolors are succinct ways to explore composition, shape, and color. On the left side of this image are 4 of these watercolors, and on the right is an oil painting. While I was working on the oil painting, it went through a progression of shapes and color, and the little watercolors I made during that time helped me make sense of what to do with the larger oil painting. While the watercolors are square and the oil painting is rectangular – the aspect ratio is different – the watercolors still helped me visualize the composition I was working on in a concise way. This is similar to taking a photo of a painting to simulate stepping away from it, getting the distance needed to see the overall image more clearly. Making a small version of the painting has the added advantage of re-creating the composition yourself, and therefore spending more time processing the way shapes and colors relate on the picture plane. I learned to do this – to make smaller versions of a larger painting to help me figure out what to do with it – from my Honors advisor at College of William & Mary, Professor Kreydatus. When I struggled with a painting, he recommended I draw it. It’s something I’ve done ever since. Thank you Brian Kreydatus!