There is a moment before every new painting when I wonder if I've forgotten how to paint. The blank canvas doesn't know what I've made before. It doesn't care about past successes or finished exhibitions. It only asks one question: What are you willing to risk this time? Lately, that question has felt heavier than usual. I've been carrying a lot outside the studio. Some days it's difficult to separate the noise of daily life from the quiet concentration painting asks of me. M