I have been reflecting on the term saudade. It is a Portuguese term that describes a feeling of longing for something or someone that is not yet gone but that you are nostalgic for. It implies a sense of loss and embraces the memory of fleeting emotions, experiences, and encounters. It is there, but it is slipping away. The word stems from the Latin word for solitude but encompasses much more than that. When I walk in nature, I often think about the impermanence of things and wonder how long they will last. Saudade captures the poignancy of these moments, the beauty, the resilience, and the complicated feelings of loss or anticipated loss. Drawing inspiration from the evocative Portuguese concept of 'saudade' and the delicate beauty of wildflowers in Barcelona, these drawings seek to capture the ever-increasing fleeting moments of nature. Employing limited colors and reverse silhouettes, the light of the paper creates a silhouette of the plant as if it has been erased. Some flowers will have pops of color.

This flower was give to me by my studio mate. We looked it up and it is native to South Africa. It is a Bulbine frutescens. We wondered how it travelled to Barcelona.

Barcelona, 2024