Maria Calandra visits the studio of painter Saira McLaren whose exhibition a day and the night will be on view at Sargent's Daughters, New York from January 8 – February 8, 2015.

Calandra notes: "Like much good painting, McLaren's deceptively effortless process convinces the viewer that the cool and composed serenity of the canvas comes from no more then a few moments of deliberation. In actuality it is a collaboration of many thoughtful moments, pure pigment stains and perfectly timed drying sessions that eventually lead to her paintings' satisfying end results. This is where spending an evening drawing (and watching out of the corner of my eye) allows me the added benefit of changing my perception of how things are made. The saturated layers of color seem to dance on the surface while simultaneously being sucked deep into the canvas textures."