Brook & Bramble Art

Another drunken tower. Apparently, we’re not done with those yet.

This one wobbled its way into existence before I fully realised what was happening, and by the time I did, it felt too late to intervene. Not dramatically wrong, just enough to unsettle the whole structure. It’s standing, technically. It just wouldn’t pass a sobriety test.

What really trips me up here, though, is the sky.

Indigo and I have a complicated relationship. I love it in theory. I love it when it behaves, when the granulation adds quiet texture and depth, when it settles into the paper like it belongs there. And then there are days like this, where it dries loudly, announcing itself in a piece that was otherwise aiming for subtlety.

Here, it feels too bold. Too present. The sky is doing more than the rest of the painting ever asked it to do, pulling focus from the softer greens, the calm water, the gentle intention I started with. Instead of supporting the scene, it dominates it, like it missed the brief entirely.

That’s the frustrating thing about granulation. When it works, it’s magic. When it doesn’t, it feels like a decision you didn’t actually make, just one you’re left to explain after the fact. I didn’t want drama here. I wanted quiet. And the sky did not get the memo.

And yet… I don’t fully loathe it. Which is inconvenient.

There are parts I like. The shoreline holds. The building, wobble aside, has character. The path leads the eye gently, doing exactly what it should. It’s a painting full of almost. Almost restrained, almost cohesive, almost calm.

Indigo will get another chance. The tower… probably will too.