Careless Seagull Tempting

Careless Seagull Tempting

Watercolor

by Wise van het Hol

c. 1631

If any of Fluvio Nortnoodle's contemporaries had any influence on him in any meaningful way, it was Wise van het Hol, the post-rationalist seer who remarked "I choose to paint only in detailed shades of white because I think abstractly in infinite colors." Many art historians have suggested that without his influence, Fluvio might never have begun his quest for The One True Color. Growing up in St. Avian together, Wise was often present as Fluvio experimented with the colors of nature and he regularly painted the seagulls that were careless enough to wander too close to Fluvio. Careless Seagull Tempting is a typical example of this and Wise often painted the birds in flight with a matching upside down reflection for its symbolic significance. Fluvio enjoyed his company for the most part, although their relationship was definitely stormy at times, and his growth as an artist benefitted greatly from their interaction and long discussions. The fact that Wise van het Hol was wholly imaginary and that only Fluvio could see or communicate with him only bolstered Fluvio's sense of entitlement.