in the garden

Monet. Maybe one of the most famous painters of all time, certainly the most famous impressionist.
But there's a reason why:




Reading about Monet, I see he was the ultimate perfectionist. He wanted to know and be able to do everything:
"The further I go, the sorrier I am about how little I know: it is this that bothers me the most."
and
"Every day I discover more and more beautiful things. It's enough to drive one mad. I have such a desire to do everything, my head is bursting with it"
He loved nature, adored nature. Gardens, seas, and flowers brought him the very most joy in life, it seems:
"I would like to paint the way a bird sings."
He obsessed over color, fantasized and dreamed about colors:
" You'll understand, I'm sure that I'm chasing the merest sliver of color. It's my own fault. I want to grasp the intangible. It's terrible how the light runs out. Color, any color, lasts a second, sometimes 3 or 4 minutes at most..."
And painted his beautiful nature with all his color knowlege constantly, never stopping between one painting and another, for hours and days at a time. Still, he was never satisfied:
"I know well enough in advance that you'll find my paintings perfect. I know that if they are exhibited they'll be a great success, but I couldn't be more indifferent to it since I know they are bad, I'm certain of it."

I feel like I know exactly what he's talking about in my own life...but Monet himself couldn't be more wrong. These pieces are absolutely gorgeous.