Clin d'œil à Cezanne....Getting inspired by the old masters.

I love looking to the old masters for inspiration. By trying to copy their work — their framing, their dance of lights and shadows, their play between vivid and muted colors, warm and cool tones — I get a feel for why they made each choice. I pay attention to how they used negative space to guide the eye, and how their brushstrokes shift from tiny, precise touches to broad, dynamic patches of color.

Copying masters is really about experimenting — and making plenty of so-called mistakes. I’m no master, not even close! But those little distortions, quirks, and happy accidents have huge learning value. They teach me what feels right in my own hand, and slowly help me find my own touch.

This way of learning — study, copy, transform — works far beyond painting. It’s a great mindset for building new technologies or launching a business, too. Look closely at successful companies and products: what problem did they solve? How did they position themselves? How did they delight their customers?

Most big startups didn’t invent something out of thin air. They took a familiar idea and made it better, clearer, or more human-friendly. They learned by emulating what worked, then added their own twist.

In the end, good businesses — like good artists — don’t reinvent reality from scratch. They observe, adapt, mix, and focus on what only they can bring to the world.