This painting reflects Alec DeMarco’s ongoing engagement with traditional Japanese visual aesthetics and his instinctive approach to abstraction. The composition began with a carefully constructed linear pattern inspired by the textures and decorative motifs found in traditional Japanese woodblock prints, an artistic language that has influenced DeMarco’s practice through his extensive study of Japanese art and tattooing.

As the painting progressed, the original structure began to dissolve. In the upper bouquet, layers of color gradually obscured the underlying outlines, transforming the carefully defined forms into something less predictable. Rather than attempting to recover the initial drawing, DeMarco embraced the transformation, allowing colors to flow beyond their intended boundaries and generate entirely new shapes.

This shift from precision to spontaneity reveals a central aspect of the artist’s creative process: the willingness to surrender control and allow the painting to determine its own direction. The resulting composition exists between structure and improvisation, where the discipline of traditional Japanese patterns gives way to the freedom of abstraction, creating a visual dialogue between intention and discovery.