I work like a gardener

I work for a long time, sometimes years, on the same canvas.
But all this time, there are periods, sometimes quite long,
when I'm not doing anything with it.

It doesn't worry me if a canvas remains in progress for years in my studio.
I think of my studio as a kitchen garden.
Here, there are artichokes.  There, potatoes. 
Leaves must be cut so the fruit can grow.
At the right moment, I must prune.

I work  like a gardener.
Things come slowly.
Things follow their natural course.
They grow, they ripen.
I must graft, I must water, as with lettuce.
Ripening goes on in my mind.
So I'm always working at a great many things at the same time.

Joan Miro